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irna  —  2RefoU>,  (Emutrffintf 


Bl-CENTENNIAL   CELEBRATION 

July  6th  and  ftht  1908 


Report  of  the   proceedings,    together  with  the 

papers    presented    and    the 

addresses  made 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  BI-CENTENNIAL  COMMITTEE 


HARTFORD,  CONN. 

THE  CASE,  LOCKWOOD  &  BRAINARD  COMPANY 
1908 


Page 

Illustrations,    .            .            .            .           .           .           .           .           .  5-6 

Historical  Paper  by  Mrs.  Mary  Everest  Rockwell,       .....  9-18 

Bi-centennial    Committees   and    Program,             .            .                       .           .           .  19-22 

The  First  Church,  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Gerrie,  Pastor,          .           .           .  .                    .  23-28 

St.  Stephen's  Protestant-Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  John  H.  Chapman,  Rector,          .  28-31 

Rev.  Foster  Ely,  Rector  Emeritus,      .  31-33 

History  of  Ridgebury  Church,  Rev.  Louis  F.  Burgess,  Pastor,           .           .           .  33-36 

Jesse  Lee  Memorial  Church,  Rev.  Harvey  E.  Burns,  D.D.,  Pastor,      .            .            .  36-39 

St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Rev.  R.  E.  Shortell,  Pastor,      .           .           .  40-43 

Program  for  July  7,  1908,     .           .           .            ...           .            .           .  44-45 

Introductory  Historical  Statement,  Wm.  O.  Seymour,  Chairman,       .            .           .  46-53 

Town  and  Probate  Records,  Col.  Hiram  K.  Scott,      .....  53-56 

Reminiscences,  by  Charles  B.  Northrop,    .......  56-59 

Address  by  Ex-Governor   Phineas   C.   Lounsbury,         ...           .            .           .  59-64 

"       "    Ex-Lieut.-Governor  Edwin  O.  Keeler,       .           .           .           .           .  64-65 

"    Judge  Howard  B.   Scott,       .           .           .           .           .           .  65-68 

"       "    Judge  James  F.  Walsh,        .           .           .           .           .           .           .  69-71 

"        "    Cyrus  Northrop,  LL.D.,         .......  71-76 

History  of  Ridgefield,  Margaret   Kennedy,           .           .            .           .           .           .  76-79 

Marion    Northrop,             .            .           .                       .           .  79-8o 

Katherine   Whelan,           .           .           .                      .           .  80-81 

Lettie  Ritch,       .    .           .           .           .           .           .           .  81-82 

Martha  Wilkins,     .           .           .           .           .           .           .  82-84 

Alexander  Mavin,              ......  84-86 

Ruth    Wilson 86-88 

Address,  Hon.  E.  J.  Hill,      .            .           . 88-95 

Concluding  Remarks  of  the  Chairman,      .......  06 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


VIEW  OF  MAIN  STREET,  RIDGEFIELD,  ...... 

ESTATE  OF  REVOLUTIONARY  PATRIOT,  .  .  .  ,  .  .-. 

Homestead  of  Thomas  Hawley,  who  fought  for  American  Independence 
in  Ridgefield,  enlarged,  rebuilt,  and  now  summer  home  of  granddaughter, 
Mrs.  David  S.  Egleston 

MODERN  RIDGEFIELD,       .  .  .          .  .          . 

Residence  of  A.   Newbold  Morris 

MODERN  RIDGEFIELD,       ........ 

Estate  of  Mrs.  VV.  S.  Hawk,  one  of  the  charming  manor  places  in  this 
community  of  country-seats  —  The  hills  of  Ridgefield,  Connecticut,  are 
crowned  with  many  beautiful  country  residences 

REVOLUTIONARY  HOMESTEAD,     ....... 

Homestead  of  Colonel  Philip  Burr  Bradley  at  Ridgefield,  a  justice  of 
the  peace  under  George  III,  and  first  marshal  of  the  District  of  Con- 
necticut —  Remodeled  summer  home  of  L.  H.  Biglow 

HOMESTEAD  OF  A  SOLDIER  IN  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION,  .  .          , 

The  Old  Deacon  Hawley  house  at  Ridgefield  where  many  of  the  patriots 
gathered  in  the  first  days  of  the  nation  —  The  host  was  a  cabinet-maker, 
choir  leader,  church  deacon  and  a  warrior 

HOMESTEAD   OF   A    WORLD-FAMED    AUTHOR   IN    EARLY    PART   OF    LAST 
CENTURY,       .  .  .  .  .  .  . 

"  Peter  Parley"  House  in  Ridgefield  —  Built  in  1797  by  Reverend  Samuel 
Goodrich  when  his  son  "  Peter  Parley "  was  four  years  old  —  Home  of 
John  Alsop  King 

HISTORIC  ESTATE  OF  MRS.  J.  HOWARD  KING  AT  RIDGEFIELD, 

On  site  of  the  Homestead  of  General  Joshua  King,  who  accompanied 
Major  Andre  to  his  execution  in  the  American  Revolution 

ROMANCE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION,    ..... 

Sarah  Bishop's  Cave  in  Ridgefield  where  a  mysterious  woman  lived  and 
died  shortly  after  the  War  —  Tradition  claims  that  she  was  an  American 
girl  who  fell  in  love  with  a  British  army  officer  during  the  conflict 

AN  OLD  INN  KEEPER  OF  STAGE-COACH  AND  TAVERN  DAYS,  . 

Abijah  Ressequie,  the  hospitable  proprietor  of  old  Keeler  Tavern,  known 
as  the  old  Ressequie  Inn  in  its  latter  days  —  Many  distinguished  guests  sat 
about  his  glowing  hearth 

RIDGEFIELD  GOLF  CLUB  —  RIDGEFIELD  ARCHERY  CLUB, 

RESIDENCE  OF  CHARLES  LEE  ROCKWELL  IN  RIDGEFIELD, 

MEMORIAL  LIBRARY  AT  RIDGEFIELD,     ...... 

Erected  by  James  Morris  in  Memory  of  His  Wife  Elizabeth  W.  Morris  — 
Engraving  loaned  by  "  The  Ridgefield  Press  " 

"  WILD  FARMS,"  ......  . 

Ridgefield  Manor  of  the  Honorable  Melbert  B.  Cary,  Nominee  in  1902 
for  Governor  of  Connecticut 

RESIDENCE  OF  HONORABLE  WILLIAM  O.  SEYMOUR  AT  RIDGEFIELD,  . 
"  ASHTON   CROFT,"          ....... 

Estate  of  late  Henry  E.  Hawley,  grandson  of  Deacon  Elisha  Hawley, 
the  Revolutionary  Patriot  in  Ridgefield 


between 


pages    8-9 

"          IO-II 


IO-II 
"          IO-II 

"          IO-II 

12-13 

12-13 

"      12-13 
14-15 

14-15 


14-15 
14-15 
16-17 

16-17 

18-19 
18-19 


List  of  Illustrations 


MODERN  RIDGEFIELD,        ........  between  pages  18-19 

Estate  of  George  G.  Haven,  junior 

COUNTRY  RESIDENCE  OF  ALBERT  H.  WIGGIN,  .  .  .  .  .  -      "  "      20-21 

Winter  Scene  in  the   Ridgefield  Hills,  mantled  with  snow 

INTERIOR  DECORATIONS  OF  THE  TOWN  HALL  IN  WHICH  THE  BI-CEN- 

TENNIAL  EXERCISES  WERE  HELD,  ...  "      20-21 

AN  EARLY  MEETING-HOUSE  IN  FIRST  YEARS  OF  AMERICAN  REPUBLIC,    .        "  "       22-23 

Ancient  "  white "  Congregational  Church  at  Kidgeneld  where  Reverend 
Samuel  Goodrich,  father  of  "  Peter  Parley,"  preached  —  First  Pastor  in 
Ridgefield  was  Thomas  Hawley 

MODERN  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH  IN  RIDGEFIELD,  .  .          .  .       "  "      22-23 

Replacing  old  "  white  meeting-house  " —  Clock  and  chimes  are  memorial 
to  late  J.  Howard  King,  great-grandson  of  its  second  pastor,  Reverend 
Jonathan  Ingersoll  —  Near  it  stands  the  Ridgefield  Club 

ST.  STEPHEN'S  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,      ....""  28-29 

CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH,  RIDGEBURY,          .....""  32-33 

JESSE  LEE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,    .....""  36-37 

ST.  MARY'S  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH,      .....""  40-41 

WM.  O.  SEYMOUR,        .          .          .          .          ...          .       "          "  46-47 

GENERAL  BENEDICT  ARNOLD,      .          .          .          ,          ...                 "          "  48-49 

who  led  the  Patriots  against  the  British  in  the  bloody  conflict  in  the 
streets  of  Ridgefield  in  April,  1777  —  Arnold  narrowly  escaped  as  his  horse 
was  shot  under  him  —  The  enemy  marched  through  Ridgefield,  firing  the 
Episcopal  Church,  Keeler's  Tavern,  and  dwellings 

GENERAL  JOSHUA  KING,  .;'.....          .       "          "      50-51 

of  Ridgefield,  the  guard  who  accompanied  Major  Andre  to  the  gallows  in 
the  Revolution 

GENERAL  DAVID  WOOSTER,        .......""      50-51 

Hero  of  the  American  Revolution  —  Killed  by  a  musket  ball  fired  by  a 
Tory  during  an  engagement  two  miles  north  of  Ridgefield  post  office 

COL.  HIRAM  K.  SCOTT,    .  .  .  .  .  '„  "  "       52-53 

CHARLES  B.  NORTHROP,  .  .  .  .  .  .          .          »       "  "       56-57 

PHINEAS  C.  LOUNSBURY,          .......""      58-59 

Portrait  of  Ridgefleld's  distinguished  citizen  while  he  was  Governor 
of  Connecticut 

"THE   HICKORIES,"        ........""      60-61 

Ancestral  estate  of  Honorable  George  Edward  Lounsbury  at  Ridgefield, 
Governor  of  Connecticut  1899-1901 

"  CASAGMO,"         .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       "          "      60-61 

Estate  of  George  M.  Olcott,  known  as  the  Stebbins  Place  during 
American  Revolution  and  occupied  by  historic  house  where  Benedict  Arnold 
sent  his  wounded  soldiers  after  Battle  of  Ridgefield 

"GROVE  LAWN,"  .....,...""      60-61 

Colonial  Mansion  in  Historic  Ridgefield  of  Honorable  Phineas  Chapman 
Lounsbury,  former  Governor  of  Connecticut 

GEORGE  E.  LOUNSBURY,  ........""      62-63 

Portraiture  of  the  second  Lounsbury  of  Ridgefield  to  become  Governor 
of  Connecticut 

LIEUT.-GOVERNOR    E.    O.    KEELER,  ......  "         64-65 

JUDGE  HOWARD  B.  SCOTT,         .......""      64-65 

JUDGE  JAMES  F.  WALSH.         .  .  .  .  .  .  "  "      68-69 

RIDGEFIELD  AND  AMERICAN  EDUCATION,         .  "  "      70-71 

Dr.  Cyrus  Northrop,  born  in  Ridgefield  in  1834  —  Twenty-one  years 
professor  of  English  Literature  at  Yale  —  Twenty-two  years  President  of 
University  of  Minnesota 

HON.  E.  J.  HILL,  .  .  "      88-89 


RIDGEFIELD  BI-CENTENNIAL 


NOTE. —  The  following  article  by  Mrs.  Mary  Everest  Rockwell,  wife  of  Mr.  Charles  L. 
Rockwell,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Meriden,  Conn.,  whose 
ancestors  were  among  the  original  settlers  of  the  town  of  Ridgefield,  was 
published  in  The  Connecticut  Magazine  in  its  first  number  of  this  year  and 
by  its  kind  permission  is  reproduced  here  introductory  to  the  account  of  the 
bi-centennial  exercises. 


RIDGEFIELD   BI-CENTENNIAL 

1708-1908 


ANNIVERSARY  OF  BEAUTIFUL  CONNECTICUT  COUNTRY-SEAT 
OVERLOOKING  LONG  ISLAND  SOUND  AND  HIGHLANDS  OF  THE 
HUDSON.  PURCHASED  FROM  RAMAPOO  INDIANS  TWO  HUN- 
DRED YEARS  AGO  BY  PIONEERS  FROM  NORWALK  AND  MILFORD 
FOR  ONE  HUNDRED  POUNDS  STERLING  AND  HOME-LOTS  AP- 
PORTIONED BY  LOTTERY.  MEMORIAL 

BY 
MARY  EVEREST  ROCKWELL 


THERE  is  no  fairer  scene  in  fair  Connecticut  than  Ridgefield's  Main 
Street,  a  mile  or  more  of  fine  houses  and  velvety  lawns,  shaded  by 
giant  elms  and  maples.  Cool,  restful  shadows,  songs  of  birds,  glimpses 
of  sunny  fields,  attract  and  charm  the  visitor,  beguiling  him  into  a 
fancy  that  this  is  some  lovely  old-world  park  rather  than  the  thoroughfare  of  a 
New  England  village. 

In  the  year  1708,  Catoonah,  sachem  of  the  Ramapoo  Indians,  sold,  for  one 
hundred  pounds  sterling,  a  tract  of  land,  bounded  north  and  east  by  Danbury, 
south  by  Xorwalk,  and  west  by  New  York  State,  to  twenty-nine  men  from  Nor- 
walk  and  three  from  Milford.  That  year,  the  General  Assembly  appointed  Major 
Peter  Burr  of  Fairfield,  John  Copp  of  Norwalk,  and  Josiah  Starr  of  Danbury  to 
survey  and  lay  out  a  new  settlement. 

These  surveyors,  with  a  keen  sense  of  beauty,  selected,  for  the  town  site, 
the  central  of  three  high  ridges  commanding  views  of  Long  Island  Sound  on  the 
south  and  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson  toward  the  west.  A  street,  six  rods 
wide,  was  planned  from  north  to  south.  On  either  side  were  home  lots  of  two 
and  one-half  acres ;  in  the  center  a  "  Green  "  for  the  meeting,  town  and  school- 
houses,  and  on  the  east  and  west  ridges,  five  acres  of  pasture  to  each  home  lot. 
Then  the  place,  appropriately  named  Ridgefield,  was  ready  for  the  new  inhabitants 
to  move  in  and  go  to  housekeeping.  At  the  north  end  of  the  town  is  a  great 
boulder,  called  "  Settler's  Rock,"  supposed  to  have  been  the  camping  place  of 
the  first  comers  to  Ridgefield. 

November,  1708,  was  the  date  of  the  lottery  by  means  of  which  the  land 
was  apportioned  and  twenty-five  home-sites  were  drawn  as  follows :  the  first  lot 
on  the  southeast  for  a  burying-ground  and  twelve  lots  northward,  falling  to 
Samuel  St.  John,  Samuel  Keeler,  junior,  Jonathan  Rockwell,  Thomas  Canfield  of 


io  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

Milford,  Proprietors'  Reserve,  Matthias  St.  John,  Joseph  Whitney,  Samuel  Smith 
of  Milford,  James  Brown,  John  Belden,  Richard  Olmstead,  and  Thomas  Smith 
of  Milford.  The  opposite  plots  from  south  to  north  fell  to  Samuel  Keeler,  senior, 
Daniel  Olmstead,  Samuel  Smith,  Joseph  Crampton,  James  Benedict,  Matthew 
Seamore,  Joseph  Keeler,  Matthew  St.  John,  Benjamin  Hickok,  Benjamin  Wilson, 
Thomas  Hyatt,  John  Sturdevant  and  Jonathan  Stevens.  Ebenezer  Smith  of  Mil- 
ford,  Joseph  Benedict  of  Nor  walk,  Benjamin  Burt,  a  blacksmith  of  Nor  walk, 
Daniel  Sherwood,  a  miller  from  Fairfield,  and  Reverend  Thomas  Hawley  of 
Northampton,  Massachusetts,  were  added  to  the  list  of  early  proprietors. 

Many  other  families  came  to  the  new  settlement,  industries  were  established, 
markets  found  for  their  products  and  slowly  —  too  slowly,  however,  to  have 
satisfied  the  impatient  ambition  of  the  day  —  the  village  grew  till  it  was  one  of 
the  important  hill  towns  of  the  state.  In  the  year  1714,  Benjamin  Stebbins  fol- 
lowed the  Reverend  Thomas  Hawley  from  Northampton,  and  built,  at  the  north 
end  of  Main  Street,  a  shingled,  two  and  one-half  storied  house,  then  the  costliest 
mansion  of  Ridgefield.  This  house  survived  all  the  contemporaries  and  was 
the  home  of  the  Stebbins  family  till  1892,  when  it  was  removed  to  make  room 
for  the  handsome  modern  residence  of  George  M.  Olcott. 

Religion  and  politics  walked  hand-in-hand  in  colonial  days,  and  upon  the 
choice  of  a  spiritual  leader  depended  much  of  the  temporal  success  of  the  new 
venture. 

Ridgefield  was  fortunate,  for  its  first  pastor,  Reverend  Thomas  Hawley, 
was  a  young  man,  frank,  sociable,  energetic,  and,  from  his  arrival  in  1713,  till 
his  death,  1738,  kept  all  the  town  records,  writing  them  in  handsome  script,  the 
admiration  of  this  generation.  Mr.  Hawley  was  born  in  Northampton, 
graduated  at  Harvard  College,  and  married  a  daughter  of  the  distinguished 
Major  Nathan  Gold  of  Fairfield.  When  Reverend  Mr.  Hawley  died,  aged  forty- 
nine,  the  church  secured  as  its  pastor  Reverend  Jonathan  Ingersoll,  a  native  of 
Milford,  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  and  a  young  man  of  brilliant  intellect.  He 
was  also  public-spirited,  interesting  himself  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare of  town  and  state.  In  1758,  Mr.  Ingersoll  went  to  Lake  Champlain  as 
chaplain  in  the  Colonial  Army.  His  home  was  on  Main  Street,  on  the  southern 
corner  of  the  J.  Howard  King  estate,  and  S.  G.  Goodrich  describes  it  as  "  a  brown, 
gable-roofed  house  with  two  venerable,  but  still  green  and  flourishing  button- 
wood  trees  in  front."  In  this  house  was  made  the  first  cup  of  tea  in  Ridgefield. 
The  tradition  is  that  the  tea  was  placed  in  a  copper  kettle,  brought  over  in  the 
"  Mayflower,"  water  was  added  and  the  mixture  boiled ;  then  the  water  was 
thrown  away  and  the  tea-leaves  eaten. 

Reverend  Jonathan  Ingersoll  died  October  2,  1778,  aged  sixty-five  years. 
He  and  his  predecessor,  Mr.  Hawley,  are  buried  in  Titicus  Cemetery,  so  called 
because  of  its  location  near  the  Titicus  River  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town. 
The  burial-ground  was  selected  by  a  vote  of  the  proprietors  in  1735,  and,  enlarged 
and  beautified,  has  been  the  resting-place  of  Ridgefield's  dead  since  that  date. 

During  the  Revolution,  Ridgefield,  intensely  patriotic,  raised  two  companies 
of  soldiers,  one  under  Captain  Gamaliel  Northrop  of  Ridgebury,  a  northeastern 


ESTATE  OF  REVOLUTIONARY  PATRIOT 

Homestead  of  Thomas  Hawley,  who  fought  for  American  Independence 

in  Ridgefield,  enlarged,  rebuilt,  and  now  summer  home 

of  granddaughter,  Mrs.  David  S.  Egleston, 


MODERN  RIDGEFIELD 
Residence  of  A.  Newbold  Morris 


MODERN    RIDGEFIELD 

Estate  of  Mrs.  W.  S.  Hawk,  one  of  the  charming  manor  places  in  this  community 

of  country-seats  — The  hills  of  Ridgefield,  Connecticut,  are  crowned 

with   many   beautiful   country  residences 


REVOLUTIONARY    HOMESTEAD 

of  Colonel  Philip  Burr  Bradley  at  Ridgefield,  a  justice  of  the  peace  under  George  III, 

and  first  marshal  of  the  District  of  Connecticut  —  Remodeled 

summer  home  of  L.  H.  Biglow 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  n 

parish;  the  other  under  Captain  David  Olmstead.  The  added  excitement  of  a 
battle  on  Main  Street  incited  many  of  the  youth  to  enter  the  army.  April  25, 
1777,  General  Tryon  made  his  celebrated  Danbury  Raid,  burning  the  town. 
On  the  morning  of  the  twenty-seventh,  he  marched  toward  Long  Island  Sound 
and  about  three  miles  north  of  Ridgefield  was  overtaken  by  General  Wooster,  with 
two  hundred  Americans.  In  an  engagement  the  intrepid  Wooster  was  killed. 
Five  hundred  patriots,  under  General  Benedict  Arnold,  reached  Ridgefield  in 
the  morning  and  built  a  hasty  barricade  of  earth  and  rocks  across  the  north  end 
of  the  street.  Here  the  British  routed  the  Americans.  During  this  skirmish, 
sixteen  royalists  and  eight  patriots  were  killed,  and  General  Arnold  narrowly 
escaped,  as  his  horse  was  shot  under  him.  The  Stebbins  homestead  was  used  as 
a  temporary  hospital,  and  the  dead  were  buried  in  an  adjoining  field.  A  tamarack 
tree  marks  the  spot  where  Arnold's  horse  fell,  and  stands  close  to  the  masonry 
supporting  the  bank  of  earth  fortifications,  the  site  of  George  H.  Newton's 
country  home.  Some  years  ago  The  Ridgefield  Press  announced  the  discovery, 
near  this  tree,  of  the  skeleton  of  this  famous  horse,  and  offered  it  to  the  local 
Historical  Society,  adding  that  the  horns  and  hoofs,  found  at  the  same  time,  had 
been  re-interred. 

The  enemy  marched  through  the  village  without  further  resistance,  encamp- 
ing for  the  night  on  a  high  hill,  south  of  the  town,  and  burning  a  house  as  a  signal 
to  their  ships  on  the  Sound.  The  Episcopal  Church  was  used  for  storage  of  sup- 
plies, during  the  Revolution,  and  was  fired  by  General  Tryon  in  addition  to  six 
dwellings.  Among  these  houses  was  the  Keeler  Tavern,  kept  by  Timothy  Keeler, 
a  patriot.  The  English  heard  that  cartridges  were  being  made  in  the  tavern  and 
discharged  several  cannon-balls  into  the  house  (one  is  still  visible),  dislodging 
the  inmates,  who  took  refuge  in  the  woods.  Mr.  Keeler's  neighbor  was  a  loyalist 
who,  finding  the  sparks  a  menace  to  his  own  house,*  received  Tryon's  permission 
to  quench  the  flames.  When  Mr.  Keeler  returned  from  his  hiding-place,  the 
Tory  met  him,  saying :  "  You  may  thank  me  that  your  house  is  safe."  "  No, 
sir,"  roared  the  sturdy  patriot,  "  I  will  not  thank  a  Tory  for  anything.  I  thank 
the  Lord  for  the  north  wind." 

The  most  prominent  citizen  of  Ridgefield,  in  Revolutionary  times,  was  Philip 
Burr  Bradley,  born  in  Fairfield,  March  26,  1738,  the  son  of  Captain  Daniel 
Bradley  and  Esther  Burr,  sister  of  Reverend  Aaron  Burr,  first  president  of 
Princeton  College.  Captain  Bradley  moved  with  his  family  to  Ridgefield  in 
1759,  the  year  after  his  famous  son,  Philip  Burr  Bradley,  graduated  from  Yale 
College.  King  George  III  appointed  the  younger  Bradley  justice  of  the  peace 
in  1770  and  January  I,  1777,  he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  Fifth  Connecti- 
cut Regiment  by  John  Hancock,  president  of  the  Continental  Congress.  Colonel 
Bradley  served  to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  then  was  appointed  the  first  marshal 
of  the  District  of  Connecticut  by  George  Washington.  The  colonel  was  a 
Federalist  in  politics  and  a  tall,  dark-haired,  black-eyed  man  of  great  dignity  and 
much  influence  throughout  the  state,  although  he  seems  to  have  lacked  the 
brilliant  social  qualities  of  his  first  cousin,  Vice-President  Aaron  Burr.  Presi- 
dent Washington  was  a  personal  friend  of  Colonel  Bradley,  and  treasured  with 

•  Residence  of  George  H.  Smillie,  the  artist. 


12  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

the  Colonel's  commissions  and  sword,  are  a  chair,  a  china  bowl  and  pitcher  used 
by  the  great  statesman  when  visiting  at  the  Bradley  house,  which  is  still  standing 
on  Main  Street,  the  summer  home  of  L.  H.  Biglow  of  New  York.  Two  of 
Colonel  Bradley 's  descendants  have  particularly  distinguished  themselves :  the  late 
William  Henry  Bradley  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  was  clerk  of  the  United  States 
Circuit  Court  of  that  district  for  many  years  and  an  able  and  influential  lawyer. 
Judge  Bradley's  son,  William  Harrison  Bradley,  is  United  States  Consul  at 
Manchester,  England,  and  has  built  a  fine  summer  home,  "  Felsenberg,"  on 
West  Mountain,  Ridgefield. 

A  notable  Revolutionary  soldier,  Jeremiah  Keeler,  enlisted  in  the  regular 
army  and  served  through  the  war,  most  of  the  time  an  orderly  sergeant  under 
Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Keeler  was  often  selected  for  services  where  quick  wit 
and  sound  judgment  were  essential,  and  after  one  such  occasion  General  Lafayette 
presented  him  with  a  sword  in  recognition  of  his  bravery  and  fidelity.  Sergeant 
Keeler  was  in  the  Battles  of  Monmouth  and  Jamestown,  and  at  the  Battle  of 
Yorktown  was  among  the  first  to  scale  the  enemy's  breastworks. 

A  niece  relates  that  it  was  always  the  sergeant's  regretful  lament  that  he 
missed  seeing  his  loved  French  commander  when  Marquis  Lafayette  made  his 
second  visit  to  America.  Sergeant  Keeler  drove  with  his  wife  to  South  Norwalk 
when  General  Lafayette  was  to  pass  through  that  town,  but  unanticipated  delays 
in  the  great  man's  arrival  obliged  the  Ridgefield  soldier  to  return  disappointed. 
Jeremiah  Keeler's  house,  on  the  New  York  state  line,  in  South  Salem,  is  the  farm- 
house of  the  beautiful  estate  of  Professor  J.  M.  Crafts  of  Boston. 

When,  in  1783,  the  army  was  disbanded  in  Virginia,  Sergeant  Keeler  received 
a  gold  medal  for  his  long  service,  and  using  his  sword  as  a  cane,  walked  back 
to  his  Ridgefield  home. 

Lieutenant  Thaddeus  Keeler  shared  his  brother  Jeremiah's  renown  as  a 
soldier.  He  first  enlisted  July  13,  1775,  as  sergeant  in  Captain  Joseph  Hait's 
Company,  Colonel  Parsons'  Regiment;  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  in 
1777,  first  lieutenant,  1778,  quartermaster  of  the  regiment,  1780,  and  served  to 
the  close  of  the  war. 

One  of  the  treasured  keepsakes  of  Lieutenant  Keeler  is  his  "  Memorandum 
Book  —  Journal  Wise."  Among  the  entries  are  the  following  brief  notes  at  the 
time  his  home  and  the  village  of  Ridgefield  were  in  imminent  peril. 

"  April  1 6th,  1777,  March  from  Danbury  to  Ridgebury  in  a  Detachment 
commanded  by  Capt.  Hait. 

"  1 8th.    Marched  to  Crompond  and  put  up. 

"  I9th.     Took  our  Quarters  at  Peekskill.    Till  the  26th  nothing  remarkable. 

"  27th.     Heard  the  enemy  were  in  possession  of  Danbury  stores. 

"  28th.     Marched  down  to  Bedford. 

"  2Qth  and  3Oth.    Returned  back  to  Peekskill  by  the  way  of  Ridgefield." 

A  few  miles  away,  in  South  Salem,  Major  Andre  lodged,  a  prisoner  under 
the  guard  of  Lieutenant  Joshua  King  of  Colonel  Sheldon's  Light  Dragoons. 
Lieutenant  King  wrote  to  a  friend  in  1817  about  the  capture  of  Andre,  saying: 
"  I  was  the  first  and  only  officer  who  had  charge  of  him  while  at  the  headquarters 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  13 

of  the  Second  Regiment  of  Light  Dragoons.  He  was  under  the  name  of  John 
Anderson  and  looked  somewhat  like  a  reduced  gentleman ;  his  small-clothes  were 
nankeen,  with  handsome  white-top  boots ;  in  part  his  dress  was  military,  his  coat 
purple  with  gold  lace,  worn  somewhat  threadbare;  he  wore  a  small-brimmed 
tarnished  beaver  on  his  head;  he  wore  his  hair  in  a  queue  with  a  long  black 
band." 

Lieutenant  Joshua  King  did  not  then  know  the  name  and  rank  of  his  captive, 
but  judging  him  a  gentleman  by  his  conversation  and  manner,  offered  him  the 
services  of  an  attendant  and  a  change  of  linen.  When  Major  Andre's  hair  was 
brushed,  the  powder  flew  out,  betraying  him  as  a  person  of  importance.  The 
young  American  officer  became  much  attached  to  his  charge,  whom  he  accom- 
panied to  the  gallows.  The  armchair  used  by  Andre  while  in  South  Salem  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  Lieutenant  King's  descendants. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Lieutenant,  or  General  King,  as  he  was  always 
called,  in  partnership  with  a  fellow  officer,  Lieutenant  Doyle,  opened  a  store  in 
Ridgefield  in  the  building  now  used  as  a  dwelling  and  called  "  Old  Hundred." 
Young  King  married  the  pretty  daughter  of  Reverend  Jonathan  Ingersoll  and 
built  a  fine  home  next  to  that  of  his  father-in-law,  on  Main  Street.  This  house, 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1889,  has  been  reproduced  by  the  general's  grandson,  the  late 
J.  Howard  King  of  Albany. 

General  King,  like  Colonel  Bradley,  was  a  leading  spirit  in  all  public  affairs, 
and  in  1818,  a  member  of  the  Convention  at  Hartford  which  framed  the  Con- 
stitution of  Connecticut.  It  is  related  of  General  King  that  he  was  the  best  rider 
in  town,  and  that  when  he  was  eighty  years  old,  he  sat  upon  his  white-faced  bay 
horse  as  straight  as  a  boy.  Colonel  Bradley,  on  the  contrary,  rode  in  a  chaise, 
the  only  one  in  Ridgefield  in  1800. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  Lieutenant  Joshua 
King,  Lieutenant  Doyle,  Captain  David  Olmstead,  Captain  Thaddeus  Keeler, 
Colonel  Philip  Burr  Bradley,  and  Lieutenant  Elijah  James,  all  of  Ridgefield, 
enrolled  as  members. 

Just  after  the  Revolution,  the  eminent  Reverend  Samual  Goodrich  of  Durham 
came  to  Ridgefield  as  the  third  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  on 
August  19,  1793,  was  born  his  illustrious  son,  Samuel  Griswold  Goodrich, 
familiarly  known  as  "  Peter  Parley." 

When  this  boy  was  four  years  old,  his  father  built  the  "  Peter  Parley  "  house 
on  High  Ridge,  the  property  of  John  Alsop  King  of  New  York.  Here  the  famous 
writer  passed  his  boyhood,  attending  school  in  the  little  old  building  on  West 
Lane,  and  as  he  grew  older,  receiving  instructions  from  "  Master  Stebbins  "  in 
the  "  Up  Town  School."  Master  Stebbins  was  town  clerk  as  well,  and  the  records 
of  the  village  corroborate  Mr.  Goodrich's  statement  that  his  teacher  excelled  in 
penmanship.  Chapman  Lee,  a  schoolboy  of  that  day,  wrote  to  a  relative  that 
"  Old  Doctor  Goodrich  was  our  school  examiner  —  a  sharp  old  blade  to  keep 
the  boys  straight,  and  insistant  that  the  boys  write  original  compositions,  instead 
of  compilations  of  facts  gleaned  from  almanacs,  histories,  etc." 

In  that  fascinating  autobiography,  "  Recollections  of  a  Lifetime,"  "  Peter 


14  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

Parley  "  draws  a  vivid  picture  of  the  Ridgefield  of  his  day.  There  was  but  one 
Irishman,  one  negro,  one  Indian,  one  "  professional  beggar  "  and  one  "  settled 
pauper."  The  beggar,  named  "  Jagger,  had  served  in  the  armies  of  more  than 
one  of  the  Georges,  and  insisted  upon  crying :  '  God  save  the  King ! '  even  on 
the  fourth  of  July,  and  was  openly  threatened  by  the  boys  with  a  gratuitous  ride 
on  a  rail.  Nearly  all  the  inhabitants  of  Ridgefield  were  farmers,  with  the  few 
mechanics  necessary  to  carry  on  society  in  a  somewhat  primeval  state.  Even 
the  persons  not  professionally  devoted  to  agriculture  had  each  his  farm.  My 
father  carried  on  his  farm  of  forty  acres,  besides  preaching  two  sermons  a  week 
and  attending  to  other  parochial  duties  —  visiting  the  sick,  attending  funerals, 
solemnizing  marriages,  etc.  There  were,  I  think,  four  newspapers,  all  weekly, 
published  in  the  state :  one  at  Hartford,  one  at  New  London,  one  at  New  Haven 
and  one  at  Litchfield.  There  were,  however,  not  more  than  three  subscribers 
to  all  these  in  our  village.  We  had  a  public  library  of  some  two  hundred  volumes 
and  what  was  of  equal  consequence  —  the  town  was  on  the  road  which  was  then 
the  great  thoroughfare,  connecting  Boston  with  New  York,  and  hence,  it  had 
means  of  intelligence  from  travelers  constantly  passing  through  the  place,  which 
kept  it  up  with  the  march  of  events." 

Mr.  Goodrich  tells  also  that  when  he  was  eleven  years  of  age  a  coach  with 
four  horses  dashed  up  to  Keeler  Tavern  and  the  hospitable  landlord  ushered  into 
the  keeping-room  a  tall,  sallow  young  man  and  a  beautiful  girl  —  none  others 
than  Jerome  Bonaparte  journeying  from  New  York  to  Boston,  with  his  American 
bride,  Elizabeth  Patterson,  of  Baltimore.  Their  presence  in  Ridgefield  caused 
a  tremendous  stir,  and  in  the  crowd  which  peered  curiously  through  the  tavern 
windows  that  summer  night  was  young  Goodrich.  What  interesting  tales  the  old 
tavern  walls  could  tell !  Here  lodged  all  the  dignitaries  of  the  state  and 
many  great  men  of  the  nation.  Oliver  Wolcott,  Timothy  Pickering  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor  Treadwell  are  among  the  distinguished  men  mentioned  by  "  Peter 
Parley  "  as  sojourners  at  the  cheery  Keeler  Tavern. 

Tradition  tells  us  this  was  one  of  the  many  resting  places  of  George  Wash- 
ington and  of  Marquis  Lafayette.  There  seems  to  be  no  authority  for  this  belief, 
but  when  the  army  of  de  Rochambeau  encamped  at  Ridgefield,  in  1781,  it  is 
certain  that  Count  de  Rochambeau  and  Due  de  Lauzun-Biron  were  entertained 
at  the  Ridgefield  hostelry.  The  building  is  little  changed  and  the  partitions  in 
the  second  story,  which  were  hooked  up  to  the  ceiling  to  make  a  long  ball-room, 
are  today  just  as  they  were  over  a  hundred  years  ago. 

Many  strangers  necessitated  the  opening  of  another  tavern  in  Ridgefield, 
and  in  1797,  Amos  Smith  built  the  inn  which  was  sold  by  his  descendants  for  a 
library  site.  That  travelers  were  entertained  at  the  Smith  home  before  the  large 
new  house  was  built,  is  shown  by  an  account-book  dating  back  to  1719.  The  first 
Masonic  Lodge  of  Ridgefield  was  organized  in  an  upper  room  of  Smith  Tavern, 
an  "Assembly  Room,"  in  which  were  held,  as  chance  might  be,  courts  of  justice, 
balls,  and  church  affairs. 

Shortly  after  the  Revolution  there  appeared  in  Ridgefield  a  half  demented 
woman  called  Sarah  Bishop.  Her  abode  was  a  small  cave  on  the  mountain  side, 


ROMANCE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 

Sarah  Bishop's  Cave  in  Ridgefield  where  a  mysterious  woman  lived  and  died  shortly  after  the  War- 
Tradition  claims  that  she  was  an  American  girl  who  fell  in  love  with 
a  British  army  officer  during  conflict 


AN    OLD  INN   KEEPER  OF  STAGE-COACH  AND  TAVERN   DAYS 

Abijah  Ressequie,  the  hospitable  proprietor  of  old  Keeler  Tavern,  known  as  the  old  Ressequie  Inn 
in  its  latter  days  — Many  distinguished  guests  sat  about  his  glowing  hearth 


RIDGEFIELD   GOLF   CLUB  — RIDGEFIELD  ARCHERY   CLUB 


RESIDENCE    OF    CHARLES    LEE   ROCKWELL    IN    RIDGEFIELD 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  15 

overlooking  Long  Pond,  and  on  what  is  now  the  Rippowam  estate,  owned  by 
Jonathan  Bulkley  of  Brooklyn.  Whence  she  came  was  never  fully  known,  but 
rumor  said  she  had  been  jilted  by  a  British  officer,  and  her  home  on  Long 
Island  burned  by  the  enemy.  Half  crazed,  she  wandered  to  this  lonely  cave,  where 
on  pleasant  days,  she  could  see  the  blue  waters  of  the  Sound  and  the  dim  out- 
lines of  the  shore  beyond.  The  kind-hearted  Yankee  house-wives  were  very 
generous  to  the  poor  creature  and  at  the  farmhouse  of  Captain  David  Smith 
"  Sarah  Bishop's  loaf  "  was  regularly  baked  and  as  regularly  taken  away.  Her 
costume  was  of  the  period  of  the  Revolution,  and  over  one  arm  she  carried  a 
long  white  silk  stocking,  in  which  was  her  fine  muslin  wedding-gown.  Sarah 
planted  a  few  beans  and  cucumbers  near  her  vine-clad  hovel,  and  some  rags  and 
a  pewter  basin  furnished  the  housekeeping  equipment.  In  summer  she  lived  on 
berries,  vegetables  and  the  gifts  of  the  villagers,  but  during  the  winter,  shut  in 
by  storms,  she  was  obliged  to  depend  on  the  stock  of  roots  and  nuts  gathered  in 
the  autumn.  She  had  a  Bible,  which  she  read  and  re-read  many  times.  One 
winter  day,  in  1810,  Sarah  Bishop  was  found  frozen  near  her  spring,  dying, 
as  she  had  lived,  alone  on  the  mountain. 

In  1800,  Reverend  Mr.  Goodrich  wrote  a  brief  history  of  the  town,  speaking 
of  several  manufacturing  interests.  All  these  have  disappeared.  The  cabinet 
shop  of  Thomas  Hawley  Rockwell  has  become  a  cottage,  north  of  his  house, 
built  one  hundred  and  eight  years  ago,  and  both  are  now  known  as  "  The  Elm 
Shade  Cottages."  The  store  kept  by  Abner  Gilbert  at  the  north  end  of  the  street 
has  been  moved  back  and  changed  into  the  stable  of  George  H.  Newton.  Five 
years  ago,  a  couple  of  white-haired  women  made  a  pilgrimage  to  Ridgefield, 
visiting  this  old  store,  in  which  their  father,  David  Lee,  began  his  business  life. 
Little  did  that  ambitious  Connecticut  boy  dream  that  his  daughters  would  come 
back  to  his  native  place  as  Her  Excellency  Baroness  von  Waechter-Lautenbach, 
widow  of  a  prominent  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  at  the  Court  of  Wiirttemberg, 
and  Her  Excellency  Countess  von  Waldersee,  wife  of  the  famous  Field  Marshal 
who  commanded  the  Allied  Armies  in  China ! 

The  saw-mills,  grist-mills,  hat  and  shoe  factories  have  all  gone;  also  the 
cabinet  and  carriage  shops  as  well  as  the  factory  where  candlesticks  and  bed- 
clothes clasps  were  made. 

On  Main  Street  is  the  home  of  Deacon  Elisha  Hawley,  grandson  of  Reverend 
Thomas  Hawley,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and,  to  quote  "  Peter  Parley,"  "  a 
cabinet-maker  by  trade,  a  chorister  by  choice,  a  deacon  by  the  vote  of  the  church, 
a  Christian  by  the  grace  of  God,  and  in  each  vocation  finding  his  place  as  if 
designed  for  it  by  nature  and  Providence." 

His  grandson,  the  late  Henry  E.  Hawley  of  New  York,  built  "Ashton 
Croft,"  opposite  the  "  Homestead  "  which  is  now  the  summer  residence  of  another 
grandson,  D.  Edwin  Hawley. 

Thomas  Hawley,  brother  of  Elisha,  was  also  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and 
his  house,  enlarged  and  rebuilt  by  his  son  William,  is  the  summer  abode  of  his 
granddaughter,  Mrs.  David  S.  Egleston. 

About  twenty  years  ago  the  Congregational  Society  replaced  the  carriage 


1 6  1708     Ridge  field  Si-Centennial     1908 

factory  with  a  fine  stone  church  on  the  corner  of  Main  Street,  south  of  the  old 
Green,  which  was  divided  by  the  straightening  of  the  road.  The  clock  and 
chimes  in  the  tower  are  a  memorial  to  the  late  J.  Howard  King,  great-grandson 
of  the  second  pastor,  Reverend  Jonathan  Ingersoll.  The  removal  of  the  old 
white  church,  and  subsequent  cutting  up  of  the  "  Green  "  completely  changed 
the  character  of  Main  Street,  and  the  Episcopal  Church,  built  in  1841,  the  third 
house  of  worship  of  that  society,  is  the  oldest  in  the  village.  Reverend  Samuel 
Johnson  of  Stratford  organized  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Ridgefield  in  1725,  and 
in  1740  the  first  building  was  erected  on  land  granted  by  the  proprietors  of  the 
town.  Two  other  donations  of  land  have  been  made  by  Lieutenant  Benjamin 
Smith,  in  1785,  and  Isaac  Jones  in  1841.  The  second  house  of  worship  was 
consecrated  by  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Brownell  in  1831,  by  the  name  of  St. 
Stephen's  Church. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Reverend  Samuel  Goodrich,  many  of  the  members 
of  the  Congregational  Church  were  so  impressed  by  the  teachings  of  Lorenzo 
Dow,  Francis  Asbury  and  Jesse  Lee,  that  they  withdrew  from  the  church  and 
held  meetings  in  the  great  kitchen  of  Doctor  Amos  Baker's  house.  Those  early 
gatherings  in  "  Baker's  Kitchen "  have  grown  into  a  prosperous  organization 
called  the  "  Jesse  Lee  Memorial  Methodist  Episcopal  Church "  with  a  com- 
modious edifice  built  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Catoonah  Streets.  It  is  related 
of  an  early  Ridgefield  Methodist,  "  Uncle "  Mix  Gilbert,  that,  one  Sabbath, 
in  a  neighboring  town,  he  entered  church  just  as  the  pastor  was  announcing 
his  text,  "What  think  ye  of  Christ?"  "Think  well  of  Him,  glory  to  God!" 
heartily  responded  the  visitor,  proceeding  up  the  aisle  to  a  seat. 

St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Parish  has,  by  rapid  growth,  amply  repaid 
the  devotion  of  its  members  and  priests,  and  today  there  is  no  finer  public  build- 
ing in  the  village  than  the  large  brick  church  occupying  a  commanding  corner 
of  Catoonah  Street. 

That  the  character  of  the  population  has  changed  since  the  construction 
of  the  railroad  from  Branchville,  in  1870,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  candle- 
stick factory  has  been  superseded  by  the  "  Bailey  House  "  and  the  erection  of 
the  "  Inn  "  at  the  southern  end  of  Main  Street. 

The  dry,  bracing  air  and  picturesque  surroundings  of  this  town,  eight 
hundred  feet  above  sea  level,  have  brought  a  large  summer  population,  the 
influence  of  which  is  felt  in  the  social,  educational  and  religious  life  of  the  place. 

There  are  two  clubs:  the  Ridgefield  Club,  with  its  Casino  where  billiards, 
bowling,  tennis,  dancing  and  entertainments  may  be  enjoyed,  and  the  Country 
Club,  with  its  charming  club-house,  extensive  golf  links,  and  tennis  courts. 
South  Lake  is  owned  by  the  Ridgefield  Club,  and  here  are  boats  in  plenty  for 
the  use  of  the  members. 

Education  is  well  supported,  there  being  both  public  and  private  schools. 

The  beautiful  library,  Ridgefield's  pride,  is  a  memorial  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Morris,  erected  by  her  husband,  the  late  James  N.  Morris  of  New  York,  and  is 
stocked  with  standard  reference  books  as  well  as  works  of  fiction. 

In  the  modern  Town  Hall  is  located  the  First  National  Bank  and  the  Ridge- 


t* 

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Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  17 

field  Savings  Bank.  Stores,  markets  and  livery  stables  are  all  well  equipped  for 
the  demands  of  the  townspeople  and  summer  visitors. 

It  was  a  New  England  boy  who  replied  to  a  stranger's  sneering  question, 
"  What  is  raised  in  this  place  ?  "  "  We  raise  men,  sir."  This  anecdote  can  be  aptly 
applied  to  any  town  in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  but  especially  to  Ridgefield. 
Many  men,  influential  in  the  world's  progress,  have  gone  from  this  quiet  spot. 
The  town  is  frequently  called  the  home  of  governors,  two  Ridgefield  boys  having 
served  their  state  as  chief  executives.  The  Honorable  Phineas  C.  Lounsbury, 
governor  of  Connecticut  from  1887  to  1889,  is  president  of  the  Merchants' 
Exchange  National  Bank  of  New  York,  and  occupies  a  stately  colonial  mansion, 
"  Grove  Lawn."  Governor  Lounsbury 's  brother,  the  Honorable  George  E. 
Lounsbury,  was  state  senator  from  1897  to  I899>  governor  from  1899  to  1901, 
president  of  the  First  National  Bank  and  president  of  the  Lounsbury-Mathewson 
Company  of  South  Norwalk.  He  died  August  16,  1904,  at  "  The  Hickories," 
his  life-long  home.  This  ancestral  farm  was  one  of  the  dearest  belongings  of 
the  late  governor,  and  he  gave  away  all  the  produce  not  needed  by  his  own 
household.  Governor  Lounsbury  gave  utterance  to  a  guiding  principle  of  his 
life  in  his  Thanksgiving  proclamation,  November  n,  1899,  when  he  wrote: 
"  On  that  day  let  the  hand  of  charity  spread  a  feast  in  every  home  of  poverty, 
for  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,  and  no  sacrifice  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving  can  be  more  acceptable  to  God  than  deeds  of  charity  done  for 
the  poor  and  unfortunate."  Many  a  poor  family  mourns  the  untimely  death 
of  a  generous  benefactor,  and  the  town  laments  the  passing  of  an  honored  and 
useful  citizen. 

The  Honorable  Melbert  B.  Gary,  whose  home  is  "  Wildfarms,"  on  West 
Lane,  was  the  Democratic  nominee  for  governor  in  1902. 

The  Honorable  Jonathan  Ingersoll,  son  of  Reverend  Jonathan  Ingersoll, 
was  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  lieutenant-governor  of  the  state.  His  son 
was  the  Honorable  Ralph  I.  Ingersoll,  member  of  Congress  and  United  States 
Minister  to  Russia,  and  his  grandsons  were  Governor  Charles  R.  Ingersoll  and 
the  Honorable  Colin  M.  Ingersoll,  member  of  Congress. 

Alphonso  D.  Rockwell,  M.D.,  of  New  York,  a  son  of  David  S.  Rockwell, 
has  won  distinction  in  the  medical  world  as  one  of  the  first  physicians  to  dis- 
cover the  remedial  uses  of  electricity. 

Adna  R.  Chaffee,  lieutenant-general  of  the  United  States  Army,  and  Com- 
mander of  the  United  States  troops  in  China,  married  Anna,  daughter  of  Colonel 
George  Rockwell,  a  native  of  Ridgefield,  an  officer  during  the  Civil  War,  and  a 
leader  in  the  ejection  of  Mormons  from  Illinois. 

Reverend  Thomas  Burr  Rockwell  was  a  prominent  clergyman  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  a  pioneer  of  that  denomination  in  the  Western 
states.  His  daughter  Minerva  was  one  of  the  early  missionaries  to  India  and 
married  first,  Reverend  James  R.  Downey,  who  died  the  year  following,  and 
second,  the  Right  Reverend  James  M.  Thoburn,  M.  E.  Bishop  of  India. 

Reverend  Charles  Augustus  Goodrich,  son  of  Reverend  Samuel  Goodrich, 
and  elder  brother  of  "  Peter  Parley,"  was  born  in  Ridgefield,  1790.  He  was 


1 8  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centenmal     1908 

associated  with  S.  G.  Goodrich  in  writing  juvenile  educational  books,  and  the 
first  school  history  of  the  United  States  was  from  his  pen. 

Harvey  Smith  was  a  civil  engineer  and  for  some  time  connected  with  the 
Hartford,  Providence  and  Fishkill  Railroad.  Later  he  located  and  constructed 
the  Danbury  and  Norwalk  Railroad,  of  which  he  was  superintendent  until  his 
death,  about  1865. 

Doctor  Nehemiah  Perry,  who  has  recently  retired  from  many  years  of 
practice  in  Ridgefield,  is  the  son  of  Doctor  Nehemiah  Perry,  and  grandson  of 
David  Perry,  M.D.,  who  was  also  the  first  settled  rector  of  St.  Stephen's  Church. 

Cyrus  Northrop,  LL.D.,  son  of  Cyrus  and  Polly  B.  Northrop,  was  born 
September  30,  1834;  graduated  from  Yale  College  in  1857,  and  for  twenty-one 
years  was  Professor  of  English  literature  at  his  Alma  Mater.  For  the  past 
twenty-four  years  he  has  been  president  of  Minnesota  University. 

Austin  Scott,  LL.D.,  son  of  J.  Austin  Scott  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  grandson 
of  Deacon  Jere  Scott  of  Ridgefield,  has.  for  the  past  eighteen  years,  been  presi- 
dent of  Rutgers  College,  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey.  Of  the  same  family 
is  Colonel  Hiram  K.  Scott,  one  of  the  oldest  Masons  and  the  oldest  Odd  Fellow 
in  the  state;  town  clerk  for  forty-six  years,  judge  of  the  Probate  Court  for 
thirty-six  years ;  in  short,  the  village  "  Squire,"  a  type  now,  alas,  almost  extinct. 
Nearly  half  a  century  Colonel  Scott  has  drawn  the  wills,  solved  the  legal  prob- 
lems, and  recorded  the  outgoings  and  incomings  —  sometimes  the  shortcomings 
—  of  the  township.  No  other  resident  knows  so  thoroughly  the  "  ancient  land- 
marks," or  is  so  often  sought  as  a  counsellor. 

The  Honorable  William  Oscar  Seymour,  a  civil  engineer,  one  of  the  rail- 
road commissioners  of  the  state,  and  vice-president  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
is  prominent  in  all  affairs  of  church  and  town.  He  has  ever  been  one  whom  his 
townspeople  delighted  to  honor. 

Lack  of  space  forbids  mention  of  the  many  others  whose  lives  of  usful 
influence  have  reflected  credit  upon  their  native  town.  The  ancestral  lines  of 
many  strong  American  families  are  traced  from  Ridgefield  and  its  records  are 
rich  in  genealogical  and  historical  information.  On  this  anniversary  year  the 
hills  of  the  ancient  village  are  crowned  with  beautiful  estates  and  country-seats 
that  have  given  it  distinction  far  and  wide  as  the  "  Lenox  of  Connecticut." 

"  A  city  that  is  set  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hid,"  and  the  splendid  record  of  many 
of  its  distinguished  sons  and  daughters  has  extended  the  fame  of  the  old  town 
far  and  wide  over  our  own  country  and  even  beyond  the  sea. 


"ASHTON   CROFT" 

Estate  of  late  Henry  E.  Hawley,  grandson  of  Deacon  Elisha  Hawley, 
the  Revolutionary  Patriot  in  Ridgerield 


MODERN  RIDGEFIELD 
Estate  of  George  G.  Haven,  junior 


ANNIVERSARY    EXERCISES 


IN  the  early  part  of  the  year  1908  a  committee  was  appointed  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  a  modest,  unpretentious  observance  of  the  two  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  settlement  of  the  town  of  Ridgefield  and  to  prepare  an  order 
of  exercises  suitable  for  the  occasion.     The  persons  appointed  on  the  var- 
ious committees  were  as  follows: 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 
Active  Members 

WM.  O.  SEYMOUR,  Chairman 

COL.  H.  K.  SCOTT,  Vice-chairman 

GEO.  E.  BENEDICT,  Treasurer 

GEO.  L.  ROCKWELL,  Secretary 

GEO.  H.  WHITLOCK,  ist  Selectman  of  Ridgefield 

A.  H.  STOKER,  Warden  of  the  Borough  of  Ridgefield 

MICHAEL  T.  MCGLYNN,  Chairman  Town  School  Board 
SAMUEL  KEELER  CHARLES  B.  NORTHROP 

GILBERT  B.  BURR  GEO.  G.  SCOTT 

WM.  R.  KEELER  RICHARD  W.  OSBORN 

Honorary  and  Advisory  Committee 

Ex-Gov.  P.  C.  LOUNSBURY  CHARLES  L.  ROCKWELL 

GEO.  M.  OLCOTT  DR.  A.  L.  NORTHROP 

GEO.  P.  INGERSOLL  GEO.  G.  HAVEN,  JR. 

WM.  HARRISON  BRADLEY  JOHN  W.  ROCKWELL 

HON.  MELBERT  B.  GARY  DR.  GEO.  G.  SHELTON 

WM.  H.  BEERS  JACOB  LEGRAND  DANCHY 

D.  EDWIN  HAWLEY  BENJAMIN  K.  NORTHROP 

CYRUS  NORTHROP,  LL.D.  REV.  S.  MCNEILL  KEELER 
AUSTIN   SCOTT,  Ex-President  Rutgers   College,   N.   Y. 


Honorary   Daughters   of   Ridgefield   Families 


MRS.  D.  S.  EGLESTON 

Miss  MARY  A.  KING 

MRS.  GEO.  G.  HAVEN,  JR. 

Miss  ANNA  M.  RESSEGUIE 

Miss  SARAH  NORTHROP 

MRS.  H.  ELIZABETH  DANCHY 

Miss  MARION  BRADLEY 

MRS.  D.  L.  JONES 

Miss  MARGARET  HAWLEY 

Miss  PHEBE  M.  GRUMMAN 


Miss  SARAH  L.  HAWLEY 
MRS.  GRACE  KING  INGERSOLL 
MRS.  GEO.  P.  INGERSOLL 
Miss  SARAH  A.  KEELER 
Miss  MARY  EVELINE  SMITH 
MRS.  MARY  JENNINGS  WHEELER 
Miss  MARY  BRADLEY 
MRS.  H.  D.  SMITH 
Miss  JENNIE  SMITH 
MRS.  DR.  A.  L.  NORTHROP 


1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

Committee  of  the  Churches  of  the  Town 
First   Congregational   Church 

REV.  A.  W.  GERRIE,  Pastor 
HOWARD  P.  NASH 


St.  Stephen's  Episcopal  Church 

REV.  JOHN  H.  CHAPMAN,  Rector 

REV.    FOSTER    ELY,    Rector    Emeritus 

WM.   ANDREW  BENEDICT 


Ridgebury   Congregational   Church 

REV.    Louis    F.    BURGESS,    Pastor 
MR.    GILBERT    B.    BURR 


Jesse   Lee    Memorial   M.    E.    Church 

REV.  HARVEY  E.  BURNES,  D.D.,  Pastor 
JOHN  W.  ROCKWELL 


St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church 

REV.  FATHER  R.  E.  SHORTELL 
JOHN  BROPHY 


Committee  of  the  Business  Men's  Association,  and  other  local  organisations  of  the  town  to 

arrange   for   a  public   parade 

RICHARD  W.  OSBORN 

JAMES  F.  KENNEDY  JAMES  E.  RYAN 

SAMUEL   S.  DENTON  GEORGE  G.  KNAPP 


The  active  members  of  the  executive  committee  met  from  time  to  time 
and  finally  decided  upon  an  order  of  exercises  that  should  begin  on  the  even- 
ing of  July  6th  with  a  union  service  of  all  the  churches  in  the  Town  Hall, 
conducted  by  the  pastors,  giving  a  brief  account  of  the  organization  and  history 
of  each  church,  and  of  those  prominently  identified  therewith,  and  an  estimate 
of  the  important  influence  exerted  by  all  of  them  combined  upon  the  life  and 
character  of  the  people  of  the  town,  interspersed  with  the  singing  by  a  trained 
chorus  of  thirty-five  voices  of  the  familiar  tunes  of  "  ye  olden  time."  For  the 
information  of  those  not  present  the  evening  program  is  herewith  presented, 
together  with  the  addresses  made  by  the  pastors  of  the  various  churches. 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  21 


iroa 

,  (Emuu 


* 

Hf-<E?ttfrmttal 


ulornn 

July  Bixtij,  trinptf  FH  Ipmdrrd  anil  rfglft 
Etgljt  o'r Inrk  f .  41. 

program 


by  chorus  and  audience 

1.  O  God,  beneath  Thy  guiding  hand, 

Our  exiled  fathers  crossed  the  sea; 
And  when  they  trod  the  wintry  strand, 

With  prayer  and  psalm  they  worshiped  Thee. 

2.  Thou  heard'st,  well  pleased,  -the  song,  the  prayer; 

Thy  blessing  came;  and  still  its  power 
Shall  onward,  through  all  ages  bear 
The  memory  of  that  holy  hour. 

3.  Laws,  freedom,  truth,  and  faith  in  God 

Came  with  those  exiles  o'er  the  waves; 
And  where  their  pilgrim  feet  have  trod, 
The  God  they  trusted  guards  their  graves. 

4.  And  here  Thy  name,  O  God  of  love 

Their  children's  children  shall  adore, 
Till  these  eternal  hills  remove, 

And  spring  adorns  the  earth  no  more. 

1712  First  Congregational  Church  1908 

REV.  A.  W.  GERRIE 

1725  St.  Stephen's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  1908 

REV.  JOHN  H.  CHAPMAN 


22  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

Anrtott  Antrim    by  chorus 

1769  Ridgebury  Congregational  Church  1908 

REV.  Louis  F.  BURGESS 

1789  Jesse  Lee  Memorial  M.  E.  Church  1908 

REV.  HARVEY  E.  BURNES 

ijgmtl     by  chorus  and  audience 

i.    Shepherd  of  tender  youth,  2.    Ever  be  Thou  our  guide, 

Guiding  in  love  and  truth  Our  Shepherd  and  our  pride, 

Through  devious  ways;  Our  staff  and  song: 

Christ  our  triumphant  King,  Jesus,  Thou  Christ  of  God, 

We  come  thy  name  to  sing;  By  Thy  perennial  word 

Hither  our  children  bring  Lead  us  where  Thou  hast  trod, 
Tributes  of  praise.  Make  our  faith  strong. 

3.    So  now,  and  till  we  die, 
Sound  we  Thy  praises  high, 

And  joyful  sing. 
Let  all  the  holy  throng 
Who  to  Thy  church  belong, 
Unite  and  swell  the  song 
To  Christ  our  King! 

1882  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  1908 

REV.  R.  E.  SHORTELL 

(ClnaUtg  ^ymtt    by  chorus  and  audience 

Time  like  an  ever-rolling  stream, 

Bears  all  its  sons  away; 
They  fly  forgotten,  as  a  dream 

Dies  at  the  opening  day. 
O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 

Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 
Be  Thou  our  guard  while  troubles  last, 

And  our  eternal  home. 

Vftu&frttan 


AN  EARLY  MEETING-HOUSE  IN  FIRST  YEARS  OF  AMERICAN  REPUBLIC 

Ancient  "white"  Congregational  Church  at  Ridgefield  where  Reverend  Samuel  Goodrich,  father  of 
"Peter  Parley"  preached— First  Pastor  in  Ridgefield  was  Thomas  Hawley 


MODERN  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH  IN  RIDGEFIELD 

Replacing  old  "white  meeting-bouse" — Clock  and  chimes  are  memorial  to  late  J.   Howard  King, 

great-grandson  of  its  second  pastor,  Reverend  Jonathan  Ingersoll — 

Near  it  stands  the  Ridgefield  Club 


RIDGEFIELD    BI-CENTENNIAL 


MONDAY  EVENING,  July  6,  1908. 
MR.  WM.  O.  SEYMOUR,  Chairman. 

Ladies  and  gentlemen:  Before  beginning  the  program  I  wish  to  make 
an  announcement  in  reference  to  the  exercises  tomorrow.  They  will  begin 
promptly  at  10.30  o'clock,  and  continue  until  the  program  is  completed.  In 
the  afternoon,  from  half  past  two  to  three  o'clock,  there  will  be  an  assembly  of  the 
children  in  this  room,  who  will  read  some  historical  papers  concerning  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Town  of  Ridgefield ;  and  later,  about  half  past  three  or  four  o'clock, 
there  will  be  a  procession  under  the  auspices  of  the  Business  Men's  Association, 
and  all  the  other  local  organizations  of  the  town.  In  the  evening  at  eight  o'clock 
the  concluding  address  will  be  given  by  Hon.  E.  J.  Hill. 

This  program  which  is  in  your  hands  is  the  order  of  exercises  this  even- 
ing, and  I  propose  to  have  no  announcements  made  from  the  chair,  except  those 
made  on  this  program.  That  is  to  say,  it  seems  to  me  to  be  unnecessary  to  in- 
troduce each  of  these  speakers,  who  are  known  as  well  to  you  as  I  am.  Hence 
the  various  persons  who  are  to  perform  the  parts  assigned  to  theni  in  this  pro- 
gram will  rise  without  any  announcement  except  that  in  the  program,  and 
come  forward  promptly.  The  choir  will  do  the  same.  The  hymns  that  are  to 
be  sung  by  the  congregation  and  choir  are  printed,  and  it  is  hoped  the  audience 
will  rise  and  unite  with  the  chorus  in  singing  these  hymns. 

STORY  OF  THE  FIRST  CHURCH 
REV.  A.  W.  GERRIE,  Pastor 

Thomas  Carlyle  has  said  that  the  greatest  thing  about  a  man  or  a  nation  of 
men  is  their  religion.  Carlyle  was  no  sentimentalist,  but  only  a  stern  rugged  old 
philosopher  and  it  was  his  philosophy  that  taught  him  the  truth  we  have  just 
enunciated.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  seeing  that  Lord  Bacon,  long  before 
Carlyle's  day,  discovered  that  a  little  philosophy  bringeth  a  man  to  skepticism 
and  unbelief,  while  a  deeper  philosophy  bringeth  him  about  again  to  faith  and  be- 
lief and  religion. 

In  the  face  of  this  testimony  it  is  fitting  that  in  the  Bi-Centennial  celebration 
of  this  good  old  town  of  Ridgefield,  the  story  of  the  religious  and  church  life 
of  the  place  should  have  the  first  and  most  important  position  on  the  program. 
It  has  been  decided  that  you  are  to  hear  first  of  all  from  the  Established 
Church  of  Ridgefield.  The  Non-Conformist  and  Dissenting  bodies  are  to  tell 
their  story  later  on.  I  am  not  very  familiar,  Mr.  Chairman,  with  ecclesiastical 
terminology,  but  "  Separated  Brethren  "  and  "  Sects  "  seems  to  be  the  correct 


24  I7°8     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

terms  according  to  somewhat  current  usage.  You  are  to  hear  therefore  by  and 
by,  from  the  "  Separated  Brethren,"  from  the  "  Sects ;"  but  first  of  all  you  are 
to  have  a  word  concerning  the  beginning  and  continuance  of  the  Old  Established 
First  Church  of  Ridgefield. 

Two  things  have  conspired  to  make  it  inevitable  that  I  should  be  the  first 
speaker  on  this  occasion.  The  first  is  that  Providence  apparently  decreed  that 
the  first  church  set  up  in  Ridgefield  should  be  Congregational,  and  the  second  is 
that  my  brother  ministers  insisted  that  I  should  tell  the  story  of  our  church  first. 
In  this,  these  gentlemen  not  only  felt  that  the  oldest  church  should  have  the 
first  place,  but, —  what  was  much  more  gratifying  to  me, —  I  could  plainly  see 
they  were  persuaded  that  of  all  institutions  in  Ridgefield,  both  religious  and 
secular,  the  First  Church  was  far  and  away  the  most  important  of  them  all. 
This  attitude  on  their  part  recalls  a  story,  a  new  story  I  am  persuaded, —  to  the 
effect  that  a  Presbyterian  minister  one  Monday  was  enjoying  a  call  from  his 
Methodist  neighbor.  A  rap  was  heard,  and  on  the  door  being  opened,  there 
appeared  a  somewhat  impecunious  looking  individual,  who,  toying  with  a  basket 
upon  his  arm,  inquired  for  the  Elder.  Being  informed  that  he  was  face  to  face 
with  the  Dominie,  he  opened  his  basket  and  disclosed  a  beautiful  black  New- 
foundland puppy  dog  which  he  offered  for  sale.  He  proceeded  to  dilate  upon 
the  good  points  of  the  animal  and  finally  wound  up  by  declaring  that  best  of 
all,  it  was  a  Presbyterian  puppy  dog.  The  Methodist  minister  sitting  in  a 
near-by  room,  could  not  but  hear  the  conversation,  and  thought  he  detected  an 
old  and  familiar  voice.  Going  out  into  the  hall  he  faced  the  would-be  vendor  of 
puppy  dogs  and  said: — 

"  Look  here  you  rascal,  you  were  in  my  place  the  other  day  and  you  tried 
to  sell  me  that  identical  canine,  only  you  said  then  it  was  a  Methodist  pup." 

"  You  are  right,  boss,"  said  the  man,  quite  unabashed, — "  I  did  say  that,  but 
your  Riverence,  the  pup  has  had  its  eyes  opened  since  then." 

It  is  a  good  thing  sometimes,  for  men  as  well  as  dogs  to  have  their  ejyes 
opened. 

If  I  were  to  seek,  sir,  some  antecedent  cause  leading  up  to  the  establishment 
of  a  Congregational  church  as  the  first  religious  organization  in  Ridgefield,  I 
might  be  tempted  to  go  much  farther  back  than  would  be  possible  in  the  time 
allotted  to  me  tonight.  I  might  very  well  go  back  to  the  first  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  or  even  farther  back  than  that  for  such  facts.  I  might  indeed  go 
back  to  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  point  to  those  stalwart  heroes,  John 
Greenwood,  Henry  Barrow  and  John  Penry  lying  in  the  dungeon  or  proceeding 
to  the  place  of  execution,  there  to  be  hanged  upon  the  gibbet  for  daring  to  main- 
tain the  independence  of  the  local  church  and  the  right  of  the  individual  to  read 
and  interpret  the  word  of  God  for  himself. 

I  would  go  back  to  the  little  vessel  rocking  in  Cape  Cod  Bay,  with  its  little 
company  face  to  face  with  the  fact  that  they  were  about  to  land  upon  territory 
for  which  they  had  no  patent  nor  any  warrant  to  make  a  settlement  or  establish 
a  government.  There  in  the  cabin  of  the  Mayflower,  recognizing  no  higher  au- 
thority than  necessity  and  opportunity,  they  drew  up  a  constitution  and  organized 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  25 

a  civil  government  by  which  to  regulate  their  affairs.  They  were  already 
organized  as  a  church,  otherwise  they  doubtless  would  have  done  the  same  thing 
with  reference  to  matters  religious  and  ecclesiastical.  Thus  it  happened  that 
more  than  150  years  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  drawn  up  and 
signed  at  Philadelphia,  there  was  constituted  for  the  first  time  in  human  history, 
a  government  of  the  people,  for  the  people  and  by  the  people,  and  that  in  the 
only  place  in  all  the  earth  where  it  could  have  happened, —  in  a  company  of 
Congregational  people.  It  was  this  fact  and  the  principle  back  of  it, —  the 
truest  of  all  theories  and  types  of  Apostolic  Succession, —  that  determined  the 
first  religious  organization  in  Ridgefield  should  be  Congregational. 

I  speak  of  the  Mayflower  and  the  Pilgrims  in  connection  with  Ridgefield 
because  the  first  minister  at  Norwalk,  Connecticut,  in  1652,  came  direct  from 
the  Plymouth  Colony;  and  the  bulk  of  the  pioneers  who  settled  Ridgefield,  came 
from  Norwalk  some  fifty  years  later.  I  make  this  connection  moreover,  to 
recall  the  fact  that  the  spirit  and  type  of  religious  and  moral  life  that  came  to 
Connecticut  in  its  early  beginnings,  was  very  largely  of  the  Pilgrim  rather  than 
of  the  Puritan  order,  and  there  were  vital  differences  between  the  two.  You 
know,  it  has  been  said  that  the  good  and  pious  emigrants  who  landed  upon  the 
rock-bound  New  England  coast,  first  fell  on  their  knees  and  then  upon  the 
Aborigines.  This  latter  however  was  not  true  of  the  Pilgrims,  nor  was  it  the 
Pilgrim  spirit  which  was  the  true  Congregational  spirit,  and  it  was  that  spirit 
in  large  measure,  that  came  to  Connecticut  and  to  Ridgefield.  Hence  it  is  that 
we  find  the  pioneers  of  Ridgefield  seeking  out  Catoonah  and  his  associate  Chiefs 
among  the  Red  Men,  and  buying  and  paying  for  the  land  that  was  to  become 
our  beautiful  town  of  today.  I  will  not  dare  assert  that  they  did  not  drive  a 
hard  bargain.  I  do  not  know  as  to  that.  If  they  did  cut  it  close,  it  is  no  more 
than  to  say  that  they  were  Englishmen  and  Yankees  at  that.  A  company  of 
Scotchmen,  now,  would  have  dealt  on  the  square  all  along  the  line! 

The  date  of  the  organization  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Ridgefield  is 
given  as  1712  upon  the  program,  but  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  first  religious 
services  were  coincident  with  the  settlement  of  the  town.  As  already  intimated 
the  major  portion  of  the  first  settlers  in  Ridgefield  came  from  Norwalk  where 
a  Congregational  church  had  existed  for  more  than  fifty  years.  The  remainder 
came  from  Milford  where  there  had  been  a  Congregational  church  for  upwards 
of  sixty  years.  Moreover  at  the  time  of  the  settlement  of  the  town  there  were 
Congregational  churches  at  Stamford,  Fairfield  and  Danbury,  and  it  is  incon- 
ceivable, knowing  the  usages  of  the  times,  that  these  people  up  in  the  wilderness 
should  have  been  left  without  religious  service  for  even  a  single  year.  At  the 
time  Ridgefield  was  settled  the  Rev.  Stephen  Buckingham,  of  whose  family  and 
lineage  came  the  great  War  Governor  of  Connecticut,  was  pastor  of  the  Norwalk 
church,  and  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  he  followed  the  migrating  portion  of 
his  parish  and  occasionally  at  least  ministered  to  their  religious  and  spiritual 
necessities  upon  this  hill  top,  prior  to  the  actual  organization  of  their  church 
life. 

Because  records  have  been  lost,  we  do  not  know  in  detail  the  exact  time 


26  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

of  organzation,  but  we  do  know  that  in  1712  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State 
granted  the  Ridgefield  people  the  right  to  tax  themselves  in  support  of  the 
gospel,  and  we  also  know  that  soon  after  that  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hawley  was  at 
work  in  the  parish.  During  the  period  of  practically  200  years  then,  the  church 
has  had  fourteen  pastors.  Of  these  the  first  three  covered  the  ist  Century, 
leaving  the  remaining  eleven  to  divide  the  2d  Century  among  them.  Allowing 
for  interregnums,  of  which  there  was  one  of  considerable  duration  between  the 
second  and  third,  the  average  length  of  the  first  three  pastorates  was  something 
less  than  thirty  years.  The  average  working  length  of  the  eleven  pastorates  of 
the  2d  Century  has  been  about  eight  years.  It  will  be  eight  years  next  month 
since  the  present  pastor  preached  his  first  sermon  in  Ridgefield,  so  that  by  the 
grace  of  God  and  the  patience  and  forbearance  of  a  long-suffering  people,  he 
has  attained  to  the  average  years  of  the  fathers  who  have  served  the  church  dur- 
ing the  past  Century. 

Thomas  Hawley,  the  first  pastor,  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  and  could  not 
have  been  more  than  20  years  of  age  when  he  settled  in  Ridgefield.  He  was  a 
man  of  large  executive  ability,  and  in  addition  to  the  very  efficient  discharge  of 
his  duties  as  pastor  and  teacher,  served  the  town  as  clerk  and  in  other  capacities. 
Mr.  Hawley  brought  to  Ridgefield  as  his  bride  Abigail  Gold  of  Fairfield.  The 
names  Gold  and  Gould  were  interchangeable,  and  Jay  Gould  the  financier  had 
his  ancestry  in  Fairfield.  If  therefore  any  of  you  good  folk  here  tonight  can 
trace  your  lineage  back  to  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hawley  and  Abigail  Gold,  you  may 
be  interested  to  try  to  figure  out  what  affinity  exists  between  you  and  certain 
Counts  and  no-accounts  whose  domicile  is  beyond  the  sea. 

Jonathan  Ingersoll,  the  second  pastor,  continued  in  office  for  38  years,  and 
died  in  harness,  as  did  his  predecessor,  Thomas  Hawley.  Mr.  Ingersoll  was  a 
man  of  great  strength  and  force  of  character,  and  with  masterly  statesmanship 
steered  the  church  and  town  through  the  perilous  times  of  the  Revolutionary 
period.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Yale,  as  was  also  his  successor,  Samuel  Goodrich, 
and  both  of  them  were  held  in  high  esteem  in  collegiate  as  well  as  ecclesiastical 
circles. 

Samuel  Goodrich  was  inducted  into  the  pastorate  in  the  22d  year  of  his 
age,  and  after  25  years'  service  resigned  in  the  year  1811.  A  child  of  the 
Manse  of  those  days,  was  Samuel  Griswold  Goodrich,  better  known  as  Peter 
Parley,  author  and  historian,  and  who  was  one  of  a  goodly  array  of  youth  who 
have  gone  forth  during  all  these  years,  to  do  worthy  work  in  wider  fields,  bring- 
ing luster  to  the  old  town  and  church  from  which  they  sprang.  It  is  fair  to  say 
that  there  is  not  a  man  of  us  in  town  today,  no  matter  what  his  race  or  creed, 
who  does  not  owe  unlimited  gratitude  to  these  three  strong  rugged  men,  for 
they  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundations  of  all  that  is  strongest  and  best  in  our 
religious,  educational  and  civic  life. 

The  membership  of  the  First  Church  has  never  been  large  at  any  time, 
the  present  enrollment  being  about  175.  The  oldest  list  of  members  extant 
dates  from  1822,  so  that  practically  we  know  the  membership  for  only  the  2d 
Century  of  the  church's  life.  The  total  for  the  Century  is  in  round  numbers 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  27 

about  1,000.  We  have  no  means  of  knowing  the'  number  enrolled  during  the 
first  loo  years.  In  all  probability  it  was  much  less.  It  is  to  be  remembered 
however,  that  the  members  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Society  were  not  always  of 
necessity,  members  of  the  church,  so  that  the  actual  size  of  the  parish  was  doubt- 
less much  larger  than  the  church  enrollment  would  indicate. 

The  church  seems  to  have  had  only  three  church  buildings  during  its  entire 
history.  The  first  two  Meeting-houses  stood  upon  the  Village  Green,  the  loca- 
tion of  which,  of  course,  is  known  to  everybody.  The  second  of  these  buildings, 
with  its  graceful  spire  and  splendid  Colonial  outline,  was  the  most  conspicuous 
and  beautiful  structure  in  the  town  for  over  100  years.  It  was  removed  less 
than  20  years  ago.  The  present  stone  church  was  opened  and  dedicated  to 
Divine  worship  20  years  ago  this  present  month.  The  entire  property  is  at 
present  estimated  to  be  worth  $30,000,  and  there  is  no  debt  upon  it,  while  there 
is  an  endowment  of  over  $9,000  bearing  interest  for  church  uses.  The  total 
net  income  of  the  church  last  year  from  all  sources  was  over  thirty-eight  hundred 
dollars. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  facts  that  has  come  to  my  notice  in  connection 
with  the  story  of  this  church,  is  the  relation  it  sustained  to  the  schools  in  the 
early  days.  It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  the  schools  of  the  town  were 
under  the  direction  and  management  of  the  First  Church,  or  more  properly  speak- 
ing, the  First  Ecclesiastical  Society,  for  many  years.  At  the  annual  meetings 
of  the  society  the  town  was  divided  into  districts  whose  outlines  were  carefully 
placed  on  record;  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  have  full  charge  during 
the  twelve  months.  It  was  the  duty  of  this  committee  to  engage  and  dismiss 
masters,  apportion  the  State  grant  of  money  to  the  several  districts  and  the  like. 
In  this  arrangement  we  have  the  beginning  of  the  District  School  System.  The 
management  of  the  schools  by  the  church  seems  a  somewhat  unusual  proceed- 
ing, but  at  the  beginning  it  was  about  the  only  plan  that  could  be  thought  of, 
and  as  Congregationalists  have  always  looked  upon  Education  as  the  handmaid 
of  religion, —  upon  the  school  as  the  ally  and  associate  of  the  church,  it  is  hardly 
to  be  conceived  that  the  educational  system  of  the  town  could  have  had  its  be- 
ginning in  any  other  way  than  this.  In  the  inevitable  evolution  of  things,  the 
management  of  the  schools  passed  from  the  Ecclesiastical  Society  as  such,  first 
to  the  districts  and  then  to  the  town  as  such,  and  this  not  because  the  town  de- 
manded that  it  should  be  so,  but  because  the  very  genius  of  Congregationalism 
forced  the  matter,  in  the  interests  of  the  public  as  a  whole;  for  it  is  a  funda- 
mental principle  with  us  that  eventually  and  inevitably  the  demos  —  the  people 
— must  govern  and  direct. 

Now  sir,  I  have  mentioned  this  connection  of  the  church  with  the  schools 
in  those  early  days,  not  only  as  a  matter  of  history,  but  also  that  I  may  con- 
clude what  I  have  to  say  tonight, —  if  you  will  permit  me, —  with  a  reference 
to  what  seems  to  me  to  be  the  grandest  and  most  splendid  memorial  with  which 
the  people  of  Ridgefield  could  mark  this  Bi-Centennial  occasion.  There  is  one 
platform  upon  which  we  can  all  stand,  one  interest  upon  which  we  can  all  unite. 
This  interest  is  that  of  our  public  schools.  Some  towns  have  erected  monu- 


28  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

ments,  some  have  set  up  arches,  some  have  built  bridges  to  commemorate  such 
anniversaries  as  we  are  celebrating  in  Ridgefield  tonight.  Why  cannot  we  erect 
a  school  building  as  a  fitting  memorial  of  our  Bi-Centennial, —  a  building  to  be 
handed  down  to  the  coming  generations  as  a  suitable  memorial  of  this  occasion. 
Why  may  we  not  have  a  building  to  which  the  boys  and  girls  of  50  or  100  years 
hence,  if  need  be,  can  point  with  pride  as  the  gift  of  the  people  who  were  on 
the  ground  when  the  town  was  200  years  old  ?  Let  it  be  a  building  adequate  to 
the  needs  of  the  consolidated  schools,  when  the  time  comes  that  the  schools 
are  consolidated  as  inevitably  they  must  be.  Let  it  be  a  building  too,  amply  suf- 
ficient for  the  requirements  of  the  High  School  which  Ridgefield  cannot  long 
afford  to  do  without,  for  it  ought  to  be  possible  for  every  child  born  in  Ridge- 
field, no  matter  what  his  place  or  position,  no  matter  what  his  church  or  creed, 
no  matter  what  the  race  from  which  he  springs, —  to  get  a  High  School  educa- 
tion and  that  without  having  to  go  out  of  town  to  get  it.  Let  this  memorial 
building  be  the  popular  gift  of  all  the  people;  not  a  building  to  be  paid  for  by 
taxation,  for  that  would  be  a  scurvy  gift  to  make  to  the  generations  following, 
if  we  left  them  to  pay  the  bulk  of  its  cost.  Neither  let  it  be  the  gift  of  one  or 
two  persons  no  matter  how  willing  and  able,  but  let  it  be  the  gift  of  all  the 
people,  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  of  all  creeds  and  of  no  creeds.  Let  the 
rich  give  their  thousands  if  they  will  and  those  less  rich  their  hundreds,  and 
let  the  rest  of  us  give  our  tens  and  our  fifties  and  afford  the  children  a  chance 
to  give  their  pennies  and  their  dimes.  Let  every  child  have  a  chance  if  he 
will,  to  earn  by  the  sweat  of  his  own  brow,  a  dollar  that  he  may  have  a  share 
in  this  Memorial  Building.  Then  through  all  the  coming  years  let  Ridgefield 
be  noted,  not  for  her  sightly  location  on  this  magnificent  hill,  not  for  her  match- 
less avenue  of  bending  maple  and  elm  trees,  not  for  her  palatial  residences,  but 
most  of  all  for  her  splendid  public  school  and  the  incomparable  work  that  is 
being  done  year  after  year  within  its  walls. 

ST.  STEPHEN'S  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 
REV.  JOHN  H.  CHAPMAN,  Rector 

If  I  may  follow  the  parson's  custom  of  using  a  text,  permit  me  to  call  to 
your  minds  the  remark  of  an  early  writer  in  Ridgefield,  that,  "  here  the  utmost 
harmony  pervades  the  different  religious  bodies  and  a  spirit  of  strife  and  litiga- 
tion has  died  out,  no  lawyers  ever  having  resided  in  Ridgefield." 

We  may  have  departed  from  that  fair  estate  in  the  matter  of  the  lawyers 
in  residence,  but  the  representatives  of  the  different  religious  bodies  of  the 
community  on  this  platform  bear  witness  to  the  peace  and  good  will  in  spiritual 
matters  still  prevailing. 

If  we  each  one  boast  now  of  our  especial  history,  it  may  be  pardoned  in 
this  instance  because  the  people  who  are  the  occasion  of  our  boasting  have  long 
since  passed  beyond  the  ill  effects  of  vanity. 

We  yield  to  the  Congregationalists  the  right  to  boast  loudest  because  of 
their  early  coming,  but  as  the  second  in  order  we  shall  try  not  to  be  backward 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  29 

in  speaking  of  ourselves.  The  first  services  of  our  church  appear  to  have 
been  held  in  1725  by  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  a  most  worthy  bearer  of  the  name 
of  the  illustrious  lexicographer.  Aside  from  beginning  our  history,  the 
most  conspicuous  thing  he  is  known  to  have  done  is  the  founding  of  Columbia 
University,  or  as  it  was  then  known,  King's  College.  Dr.  Johnson  was  promi- 
nent throughout  this  colony  and  parts  of  New  York  as  a  great  missionary, 
an  able  organizer  and  an  eloquent  speaker. 

Many  of  our  early  records  have  been  destroyed  and  probably  an  even 
greater  number  were  never  made,  the  early  members  of  the  community  having 
many  things  which  appealed  to  them  as  of  more  importance  than  satisfying  the 
curiosity  of  their  descendants. 

In  1728  there  were  12  families  connected  with  our  church,  and  in  the 
stricter  customs  then  obtaining,  doubtless  all  the  children  followed  their  parents 
to  the  religious  services. 

While  we  are  ignorant  of  the  exact  number  of  individuals  who  were  identi- 
fied with  us  we  may  estimate  it  from  the  data  left  by  a  later  historian;  he  in- 
forms us  that  in  his  time  there  were  6  families  in  Ridgefield  who  together 
had  75  children,  that  is  nearly  13  children  in  each  family. 

Being  evidently  patriotic  people  I  presume  these  were  all  Episcopalians, 
so  if  the  other  6  families  we  had  in  Ridgefield  in  1728  did  as  well,  we  had  at 
that  time  150  children  and  24  parents,  a  total  of  174  souls.  In  order  to  be  con- 
servative I  am  willing  to  claim  only  170,  which  even  so  would  make  us  a  con- 
siderable body  for  the  time. 

All  of  the  clergy  who  ministered  here  prior  to  the  war  of  the  Revolution 
were  missionaries  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts  (in  England),  and  were  supported  in  part  by  that  society.  There  were 
8  of  these  men  between  1725  and  1776;  men  who  in  common  with  others  of  the 
time  left  comfortable  homes  in  England  to  endure  the  hardships  of  what  was 
then  the  frontier  life. 

Ridgefield  does  not  class  her  attractions  today  under  the  head  of  hard- 
ships; but  doubtless  then  some  of  the  church  buildings  could  not  boast  of  the 
28  degrees  of  heat  a  few  of  us  enjoyed  last  winter,  the  roads  were  a  vexation  to 
the  flesh,  they  may  also  have  had  trials  with  their  politics  and  politicians,  and 
the  assessment  lists  were  probably  not  satisfactory  to  all  taxpayers.  We  trust 
we  have  benefited  in  many  ways  since  then. 

From  the  home  society,  each  of  the  clergy  received  about  20  pounds  a  year, 
and  from  the  community  here  through  the  state  tax  for  religion,  about  40 
pounds  more  in  prosperous  times,  so  that  the  minister  received  about  $300  a  year. 

The  people  worshiped  at  first  in  the  home  of  the  adherents,  but  in  1739 
they  became  more  prosperous  and  started  a  church  building.  This  was  finished 
soon  after  and  seems  to  have  satisfied  the  people  until  it  was  damaged  by  the  two 
armies. 

The  last  of  the  English  clergy  was  the  Rev.  Epenetus  Townsend.  Being 
a  loyal  British  subject  he  left  his  congregation  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  and 
became  chaplain  to  a  British  regiment.  Later  Mr.  Townsend  was  drowned  with 


30  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

his  wife  and  five  children,  while  on  his  way  to  Nova  Scotia.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  superstitious  in  his  parish  did  not  regard  this  as  the  comment  of  Provi- 
dence upon  his  loyalty  to  the  British. 

After  Mr.  Townsend's  departure  the  soldiers  of  England,  in  passing  through, 
burned  part  of  the  building  and  later  the  Americans  used  the  rest  as  a  store- 
house. This  suffering  of  the  building  at  the  hands  of  the  British  should  have 
made  the  church  popular  among  the  American  patriots,  but  the  late  rector's 
leaving  had  a  depressing  effect  and  the  church  here  did  not  recover  its  ac- 
customed strength  until  after  the  war. 

The  building  was  rendered  unfit  for  use  by  its  severe  trials,  so  in  1785  a 
new  building  was  begun.  The  people  were  taxed  for  this  purpose  and  as  they 
were  in  straitened  circumstances  after  their  hardships  they  paid  their  taxes  in 
kind;  white  wood  boards  valued  at  about  $1.50  a  hundred  feet,  1 8-inch  chestnut 
shingles  at  $6.00  a  thousand,  also  in  rye,  corn,  oats,  buckwheat  and  flax. 

This  building  was  not  finished  until  1791 ;  it  faced  north  and  south,  was 
44x32  feet,  with  a  gallery  in  the  south  end  and  no  steeple.  In  1819  the  church 
was  altered  and  improved,  among  other  improvements  side  galleries  were  put 
in  and  a  steeple  erected.  Nine  years  later  a  bell  was  put  in  the  steeple  and 
in  1831  the  building  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Brownell,  who  at  the  same  time 
confirmed  52  persons. 

By  1841  the  congregation  seems  to  have  required  a  larger  place  of  wor- 
ship, so  the  present  church  was  begun,  and  finished  and  consecrated  in  1842, 
the  Rev.  Warner  Hoyt  being  rector. 

The  present  bell,  weighing  1508  pounds,  was  placed  in  the  steeple  in  1851. 
The  organ  was  built  in  1857  and  rebuilt  in  1875. 

There  were  no  confirmations  up  to  1809,  as  the  Church  in  England  would 
not  allow  us  bishops ;  since  that  time  we  have  records  of  706  persons  confirmed ; 
as  we  have  no  records  for  part  of  the  time  the  actual  number  is  larger. 

Thirty-four  clergy  have  officiated  here  as  rector  or  missionary  during  our 
history,  8  of  the  Church  of  England  and  26  of  our  own  church. 

In  thinking  over  their  religious  expression  in  the  past  Connecticut  people 
may  well  take  pride  in  their  wide  toleration  and  ample  charity.  Your  neighbor 
Massachusetts,  deservedly  admired  in  so  many  things  and  regarded  highly  for 
her  notable  contributions  to  religious  questions,  yet  we  remember  her  Puritan 
people  as  coming  over  here  not  only  to  worship  God  as  they  pleased  but  to 
make  everybody  else  do  the  same.  Macaulay  said  that  they  objected  to  bear 
baiting  not  because  it  gave  pain  to  the  bear  but  because  it  gave  pleasure  to  the 
spectators. 

No  such  stubborn  bigotry  ever  marked  Connecticut,  yet  her  people  have 
ever  been  profoundly  interested  in  religious  questions. 

When  a  goodly  part  of  the  faculty  of  Yale  College  in  its  early  days  left 
the  Congregational  Church  and  went  to  England  for  ordination  by  Bishops  of 
the  Church  of  England,  there  was  no  ill  feeling  engendered.  When  our  people 
in  Ridgefield  wanted  the  services  of  the  Church  of  England,  the  authorities  of 
the  church  established  by  the  colony  were  willing  that  our  state  taxes  should 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  31 

be  paid  for  the  support  of  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  instead  of  to 
the  Congregational  church. 

We  are  proud  in  our  country  of  our  open  religious  spirit,  we  may  also  be 
proud  in  our  village  of  such  a  spirit.  We  trust  we  stand  not  for  religious 
toleration  but  for  religious  freedom. 

We  hope  also  to  stand  not  for  religious  uniformity  where  every  man  shall 
be  moulded  alike,  but  for  religious  unity  where  every  man  may  express  the 
message  God  wishes  him  to  live. 

If  the  Church  of  Christ  is  divine  we  need  never  fear  that  it  will  be  killed 
by  leaving  it  as  untrammeled  as  possible. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  past  to  beguile  us  from  present  action  by  supinely 
dreaming  through  the  pleasing  mazes  of  retrospection;  whatsoever  there  is  of 
nobleness  shall  reprove  our  despondency,  whatsoever  of  mistake  shall  warn  us 
from  the  agony  of  defeat. 

REV.  FOSTER  ELY,  D.D.,  Rector  Emeritus. 

My  Friends :  The  talented  rector  of  St.  Stephen's  church  in  his  admirable 
address  has  anticipated  everything  of  interest  that  can  be  said  regarding  St. 
Stephen's  parish,  historically  considered.  Nevertheless,  as  one  who  served  it 
for  nearly  two  decades,  I  would  say  that  it  seems  quite  natural  to  face  from  this 
platform  a  Ridgefield  audience.  Ridgefield  has  an  unfailing  charm,  not  only 
for  those  who  claim  it  as  their  ancestral  or  native  soil,  but  for  those  who  by 
long  residence  have  made  it  their  home.  Nearly  all  of  those  who  leave  this 
town  have  a  faint  idea  of  returning  before  they  die,  while  the  majority  of  them 
cherish  the  sanguine  hope  of  revisiting  it.  It  is  a  fact  that  while  these  people 
are  away  from  Ridgefield  they  regard  themselves  as  pilgrims  and  sojourners, 
as  those  who  have  no  earthly  home.  Not  many  years  ago  there  were  enrolled 
among  the  communicants  at  St.  Stephen's  church  very  many  who  stoutly  re- 
fused to  take  a  letter  to  any  other  rector,  although  they  had  not  been  living 
here  for  ten,  twenty,  thirty  or  forty  years,  solely  because  of  their  love  for 
Ridgefield  and  their  reluctance  to  sever  the  last  tie,  nominal  though  it  be,  with 
the  town  they  loved  so  well. 

I  am  aware,  and  reference  has  been  made  to  it,  that  this  Ridgefield  of  to- 
day is  not  the  simple,  natural,  rural  place  that  it  once  was,  reposing  in  tranquil 
isolation  among  its  green  hills.  Everywhere  there  are  spacious  villas  and  cot- 
tages, varied  in  architecture,  with  harmonious  surroundings,  and  furnished  with 
all  that  refined  taste  can  suggest.  The  library,  with  its  many  volumes  that 
bring  us  in  touch  with  other  days, —  with  the  history  of  mediaeval  times  and 
the  generations  from  thence  onward,  invites  all  to  enter  and  read.  The  kinder- 
garten, founded  and  maintained  for  many  years  by  a  noble  lady  at  her  sole 
expense,  is  supplied  with  modern  equipment.  Whether  for  good  or  for  worse, 
the  spirit  of  the  great  metropolis  seems  to  pervade  this  place,  and  we  have  the 
electric  current, —  the  telegraph,  the  telephone,  and  the  motor  car.  But  Ridge- 
field still  has  much  in  common  with  its  former  self.  There  is  the  same  wonder- 


32  1708     Ridge  field  El-Centennial     1908 

ful  scenery,  ever  varying,  and  opening  up  new  vistas  at  every  turn,  with  the 
mountains  dimly  outlined  against  the  far  horizon.  On  a  clear  day  may  be  seen 
the  Sound, —  and  here  are  the  roads  to  which  allusion  has  been  made  tonight, 
with  over  forty  different  drives. 

But  these  are  all  material  things.  We  have  a  history,  thank  God,  and  it 
cannot  be  taken  from  us, —  a  history  that  links  us  indissolubly  with  the  stirring 
events  of  the  colonial  period  and  later  on  with  the  Revolutionary  war,  when  the 
sons  of  Ridgefield  fought  here  and  elsewhere  for  independence,  encouraged 
so  to  do  unfalteringly  by  their  patriotic  mothers,  their  wives  and  their  daughters. 
Then,  too,  think  of  the  men  of  ability,  forceful  character  and  untarnished  honor 
that  the  town  has  given  to  the  state  and  the  country.  In  literary  and  educa- 
tional circles  I  can  recall  the  names  of  some  who  have  by  their  contributions 
signally  honored  Ridgefield. 

I  cannot  resist  saying  here  tonight  that,  standing  here,  memory  brings 
vividly  before  me  the  names  of  many  families,  descendants  of  the  settlers  of 
this  town.  Of  these  I  can  recall  twenty  at  least  who  were  communicants  of  St. 
Stephen's,  and  six  or  eight  more  who  were  parishioners  that  the  rector  visited. 
Were  they  living  today  the  youngest  would  be  eighty  years  of  age,  and  the 
oldest  would  be  one  hundred  and  twelve.  Col.  Scott,  and  our  friend  Mr. 
Northrop,  another  octogenarian, —  you  would  hardly  associate  them  with  any 
such  age  as  that.  I  refer  to  this  fact  because  these  men  were  born  in  the  early 
or  middle  part  of  the  last  century. 

I  must  refer  to  a  kinsman  of  mine,  though  three  degrees  removed,  born  in 
1793,  Samuel  Griswold  Goodrich,  better  known  as  "Peter  Parley", —  story 
teller,  poet,  senator  and  United  States  Consul  at  Paris,  who  adorned  everything 
which  he  touched. 

Another  word.  St.  Stephen's  Church  has  today  among  its  many  com- 
municants those  who  are  lineal  descendants  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  Smith, 
one  of  the  most  eminent  men  in  our  church,  who,  about  the  time  the  constitution 
of  the  United  States  was  adopted,  contributed  to  our  church  that  able  institu- 
tion office  which  I  heard  read  the  other  day  in  New  York,  at  the  installation  of 
the  rector  of  Trinity  Church. 

Now  referring  again  to  my  cousin,  Samuel  Goodrich, —  just  a  word.  It 
seems  there  was  a  humorous  conflict  going  on  in  a  certain  church  in  this  town 
about  the  introduction  of  a  new  stove  in  the  church.  Part  of  the  congregation 
bitterly  opposed  its  introduction,  and  part  favored  it.  The  part  opposing  it 
said  it  was  an  innovation;  they  also  said  that  a  foot  stove  would  keep  the 
women  and  children  warm  in  severe  weather,  while  the  religious  devotion 
should  keep  the  men  warm.  The  contest  waxed  so  fiercely  that  the  good  old 
pastor  —  it  must  have  been  the  Congregational  church,  for  that  is  one  of  the 
oldest  —  was  really  perplexed  to  choose  a  text  for  his  sermon.  He  tried  to  be 
neutral,  fearing  lest  he  might  give  offense  to  one  party  or  the  other,  and  above 
all  fearing  lest  both  factions,  the  stoveites  and  the  anti-stoveites,  might  draw 
arguments  from  it.  This  story  is  preserved  in  the  recollections  of  Goodrich. 

If  a  book  of  recollections  of  this  day  should  be  published  and  preserved,  it 


CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH,    RIDGEBURY 


Record  of  the  Bl-Centennial  Exercises  33 

is  possible  that  at  the  tri-centennial  our  friend  Col.  Scott  may  quote  from  it, 
because  under  no  circumstances  can  we  spare  him  now,  and  I  doubt  if  the 
people  living  one  hundred  years  from  now  will  spare  him. 

(Singing  of  Ancient  Anthem,  by  the  Chorus.) 

(Address  by  Rev.  Louis  F.  Burgess,  of  Ridgebury  Congregational  Church.) 

NOTES  ON  THE  HISTORY  OF  RIDGEBURY  CHURCH 
REV.  Louis  F.  BURGESS,  Pastor 

In  1727  there  was  proposed  an  exchange  of  territory  between  the  states 
of  New  York  and  Connecticut,  whereby  New  York  was  to  receive  a  strip  of 
land  along  its  north  and  south  boundary  line  containing  some  sixty-two  thousand 
acres,  and  known  as  "  The  Oblong,"  and  Connecticut  was  to  have  Greenwich 
and  a  part  of  Stamford  on  the  Sound,  giving  it  a  more  extended  shore  line. 

As  this  would  cause  to  Ridgefield  a  considerable  loss  of  territory,  a  peti- 
tion was  sent  to  the  State  Assembly  in  this  year  asking  that  to  the  town  be 
assigned  an  unappropriated  wedge  of  land  lying  on  the  north  of  Ridgefield 
and  to  the  west  of  Danbury.  On  the  I3th  day  of  May,  1731,  the  General  As- 
sembly granted  this  petition,  and  on  June  ist  a  patent  for  this  land  was  issued 
by  the  governor ;  thus  originated  the  name  of  "  New  Patent,"  by  which  the 
district  of  Ridgebury  was  for  some  years  known. 

It  is  supposed  that  a  meeting-house  was  built,  and  worship  begun  at  "  New 
Patent"  as  early  as  1738,  though  no  record  of  the  fact  remains. 

In  May,  1761,  on  petition  of  Timothy  Benedict,  Samuel  Gates,  Jonah  Foster, 
and  others,  asking  to  be  made  an  Ecclesiastical  Society,  the  General  Assembly 
appointed  a  committee  on  the  case,  and  in  October,  1761,  made  a  society  of  said 
"  New  Patent,"  and  named  it  "  Ridgebury  " ;  the  original  records  of  this  society 
are  still  in  existence  in  the  hands  of  the  pastor  of  the  church.  These  records 
attest  that  many  efforts  were  made  to  settle  a  pastor  in  the  place,  and  that 
preaching  was  maintained  by  occasional  supplies  with  more  or  less  constancy; 
the  names  of  Joseph  Moss  Wright,  Obadiah  Warner,  Stephen  Hawley,  Ben- 
jamin Wildman,  and  others  appear  on  the  records  as  being  from  time  to  time 
so  considered. 

On  Nov.  23,  1768,  it  was  voted  to  call  Mr.  Samuel  Camp  to  settle  among 
them  as  their  minister,  and  to  offer  him  the  sum  of  75  pounds  salary,  and  150 
pounds  settlement,  the  last  to  be  paid  in  three  annual  installments.  Mr.  Camp 
had  previously  preached  in  Ridgebury,  and  under  date  of  May  7,  1766,  is  found 
the  record, — "  voted,  to  improve  Mr.  Samuel  Camp  longer  among  us,  upon  a 
view  of  settlement  among  us  in  the  work  of  the  ministry." 

Mr.  Camp  accepted  this  call,  and  a  church  was  organized,  and  the  new 
minister  ordained  and  installed,  Jan.  18,  1769. 

The  eighteen  original  members  of  the  church  are,  Rev.  Samuel  Camp, 
Jabish  Smith,  Isaiah  Birchard,  James  Northrop,  John  Rockwell,  Daniel  Coley, 

5 


34  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

David  Rockwell,  Timothy  Benedict,  Samuel  Keeler,  Lemuel  Abbott,  Samuel 
St.  John,  John  Joyce,  Jonathan  Osborn,  Samuel  Gates,  James  Scott,  John 
Barber,  Thomas  Frost,  and  Thomas  Wilson,  all  males. 

Mr.  Camp  was  a  native  of  Salisbury,  and  a  graduate  of  Yale  in  1764;  he 
lived  out  his  life  in  Ridgebury,  and  is  buried,  with  his  three  wives,  in  the  ceme- 
tery there ;  his  pastorate  extended  over  thirty-five  years,  but  there  is  scarce  any 
record  of  its  results;  he  resigned  in  November,  1804,  because  of  failing  health, 
and  died  in  October,  1813. 

Liberality  in  religious  matters  is  not  a  thing  belonging  only  to  our  later 
days,  for,  during  the  brief  service  of  a  Mr.  Perkins,  who  supplied  the  pulpit  for 
nearly  a  year  after  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Camp,  it  was,  "  voted  (in  October, 
1804),  that  persons  of  other  persuasions  may  come  and  hear  Mr.  Perkins  preach." 

In  the  year  of  Mr.  Camp's  death  Mr.  Nathan  Burton,  a  member  of  the 
church,  was  chosen  one  of  its  deacons,  and  so  served  for  eight  years ;  in  October, 
1821,  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church,  being  ordained  and  installed 
on  Nov.  6,  1821,  and  serving  the  church  with  great  usefulness  until  June,  1841, 
a  period  of  twenty  years ;  under  date  of  June  5,  1823,  Mr.  Burton  writes,  "  the 
people  have  been  in  a  state  of  awful  stupidity  for  years ; "  out  of  his  distress  at 
the  situation  grew  a  revival  in  which  forty-three  persons  were  hopefully  con- 
verted, thirty-four  joining  the  church  on  profession  of  faith.  In  1828  Mr.  Bur- 
ton reported  a  Sunday  school  of  about  fifty  scholars;  on  April  28,  1829,  he  re- 
ports, "  church  now  numbers  about  seventy,  and  once  was  reduced  to  two  male 
and  five  female  members."  During  Mr.  Burton's  entire  ministry  one  hundred 
and  fourteen  persons  were  added  to  the  church,  and  over  twenty  children  of 
believing  parents  were  baptized.  He  died  in  1859,  aged  seventy-nine. 

During  the  long  interval  between  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Camp  and  the  settle- 
ment of  Mr.  Burton  services  were  regularly  held  in  the  church,  and  from  1813 
to  1817  a  season  of  special  interest  was  enjoyed,  thirty-four  members  being  re- 
ceived. 

Mr.  Burton  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Zalmon  B.  Burr,  of  Westport,  Conn., 
a  licentiate  of  New  London  Association.  He  was  ordained  and  installed  in 
June,  1843,  and  remained  with  the  church  seven  years,  during  which  time  the 
membership  was  increased  by  eight. 

Martin  Dudley  preached  about  a  year  after  Mr.  Burr's  resignation,  from 
1850  to  1851.  The  next  settled  pastor  was  Rev.  Philo  Canfield,  of  Buffalo 
city  Presbytery;  he  was  installed  in  September,  1852,  and  was  pastor  of  the 
church  until  the  spring  of  1856;  twenty  additions  to  the  church  occurred  during 
his  pastorate. 

Rev.  Wm.  W.  Page  followed  Mr.  Canfield,  acting  as  a  supply  for  one  year. 

From  September,  1859,  to  September,  1861,  Rev.  E.  S.  Huntington  of  Dan- 
bury  preached  for  the  society.  Mr.  Huntington  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Fred- 
erick J.  Jackson,  who  preached  nearly  a  year. 

Rev.  John  E.  Elliott,  of  Barkhamsted,  Ct,  was  called  to  the  pastorate  in 
December,  1862,  and  commenced  his  services  in  February,  1863,  an{^  was  or" 
dained  and  installed  in  the  May  following.  He  remained  with  the  church  about 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  35 

two  years,  to  May  16,  1865,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Augustus  Alvord  of 
Bolton,  Ct,  who  served  from  the  autumn  of  1867  until  August,  1871,  as  a 
stated  supply. 

Rev.  Wm.  M.  Parsons  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  a  Baptist,  was  invited  to  supply 
the  pulpit  in  September,  1871.  Mr.  Parsons  preached  for  thirteen  years, —  until 
June,  1884, —  and  again  from  April,  1889,  to  March,  1895,  a  term  of  six  years, 
making  a  pastoral  term  of  nineteen  years  in  all,  the  third  longest  pastorate  of 
the  church.  A  large  portrait  of  Mr.  Parsons  hangs  in  the  church  today,  and 
he  is  well  remembered  by  many. 

Between  the  first  and  second  terms  of  Mr.  Parsons,  Rev.  Daniel  D.  Frost 
served  from  June  1884,  to  August,  1886,  and  Rev.  Richard  Storrs  Billings  from 
April,  1887,  until  his  death  October  24,  1888. 

Rev.  Edward  S.  Sanborn  began  his  labors  as  pastor  in  June,  1895,  and 
was  ordained  by  Consociation  July  23,  1895,  resigning  December  31,  1899. 

Rev.  Wm.  E.  Todd  was  called  to  the  pastorate  and  began  service  April  i, 
1900,  resigning  May  19,  1901. 

The  present  pastor  has  served  since  October  I,  1902. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  139  years  of  the  church's  life  has  been  divided 
into  sixteen  pastorates,  one  of  35  years,  one  of  20  years,  one  of  19  years  and 
the  others  ranging  from  7  years  to  less  than  one  year. 

The  church  has  raised  up  three  ministers, —  Rev.  Nathan  Burton,  Rev. 
Jacob  St.  John,  and  Rev.  Oliver  St.  John. 

It  has  had  twenty  deacons,  the  twentieth  and  only  living  one  being  Mr. 
Samuel  A.  Coe,  who  was  chosen  to  the  position  September  5,  1895. 

The  original  "  New  Patent "  meeting-house  was  situated  on  the  hill  about 
a  half  mile  south  of  the  present  church.  In  October,  1762,  the  society  bought 
of  John  Whitlock  the  land  on  which  the  church  now  stands,  the  consideration 
being,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Whitlock,  "  the  love  and  respect  I  have  and  do  bear 
unto  said  Discenting  Society  of  Ridgebury." 

On  August  23,  1768,  just  before  Mr.  Camp's  installation,  it  was  voted  to 
build  a  church  on  the  newly  acquired  site,  said  church  to  be  46  feet  by  36  feet 
in  size,  to  "  stand  facing  the  east,  and  to  be  finished  by  the  first  day  of  July, 
1769."  The  old  building  was  no  doubt  removed  at  this  time,  as  parts  of  it  were 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  new  one. 

The  house  so  built  was  without  plastered  walls  and  without  stoves,  save 
as  the  old  ladies  brought  live  coals  in  their  "  foot  stoves,"  and,  for  the  twenty- 
four  years  before  the  pews  were  built,  the  only  seats  were  rough  wooden  benches. 

In  February,  1784,  it  was  "  voted,  that  we  will  do  something  toward  mak- 
ing the  meeting-house  more  comfortable  and  convenient;"  and  in  1793  a  com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  "  mark  out  the  meeting-house  into  pews  and  sell  them, 
and  to  lay  out  the  money  that  shall  arise  therefrom  on  the  house;"  (see  dia- 
gram.) Of  these  pews  the  two  —  known  as  No.  5  —  on  each  side  of  the  pulpit 
were  reserved  as  "  Honorary  Pews,"  and  the  two  —  No.  1 1  — "  under  the 
stairs  "  as  "  spare  pews."  In  1816,  and  again  in  1834  the  society  repaired  the 
meeting-house  built  in  1768,  and  in  1838  thoroughly  repaired  and  refurnished 


36  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

it,  replacing  the  old  pews  and  high  pulpit  with  modern  "  slips  "  and  a  modern 
pulpit.  The  doors  on  the  north  and  east  were  closed,  leaving  only  one  entrance. 

The  old  church,  which  had  stood  for  more  than  eighty  years,  was  finally 
demolished,  and  the  present  house  —  46  feet  by  30  feet  —  erected  and  dedicated 
in  1851. 

In  the  spring  of  1832  the  society  bought  ten  acres  of  land  with  the  build- 
ings thereon  for  a  parsonage,  but  sold  the  same  to  David  Hanford  in  February, 
1838.  In  the  year  1844  the  present  parsonage  was  erected  on  a  plot  of  ground 
donated  for  the  purpose  by  David  Hanford  and  Gamaliel  Benedict. 

Legacies  have  been  left  to  the  society  at  various  times,  the  income  from 
which  has  been  necessary  to  the  keeping  up  in  the  neighborhood  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel;  these  translated  servants  of  God  have  by  this  means  continued 
the  propagation  of  the  gospel  since  their  decease  even  as  they  did  while  living, 
and  so  shall  they  long  continue. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  be  able  to  report  the  aggregate  membership 
of  the  church  for  the  139  years  of  its  life,  but  incomplete  records  forbid  this. 
As  in  many  similar  cases  Ridgebury  church  has  been  drained  of  its  spiritual 
life-blood  to  the  advantage  of  other  and  distant  places.  Its  present  member- 
ship is  eighteen;  its  property  is  in  good  condition,  and  unencumbered  with 
debt ;  its  vested  funds  yield  to  it  an  income  of  about  $450.00  a  year. 

Through  the  transition  period  of  the  present  it  awaits  the  opening  of  the 
new  day  with  hope  and  faith.  What  the  Ridgebury  church  has  done  for  God 
only  God  knows;  at  its  best  it  has  been  a  very  incomplete  service;  what  God 
has  done  for  Ridgebury  through  His  church  is  incalculable  in  set  terms,  because 
spiritual  in  nature. 

On  this  Bi-centennial  day  Ridgebury  church,  through  the  lips  if  its  pastor, 
salutes  you,  saying  with  Jacob  of  old, — "  The  God  who  led  me  all  my  life  long, 
the  angel  who  redeemed  me  from  all  evil,"  bless  you  all ! 


JESSE  LEE  MEMORIAL  CHURCH 
REV.  HARVEY  E.  BURNS,  D.D.,  Pastor 

I  have  on  a  pair  of  borrowed  glasses, —  you  must  not  think  because  of 
that  that  everything  behind  the  glasses  is  also  borrowed.  If  everything  was 
left  at  home  with  the  glasses,  it  would  not  trouble  me  very  much. 

I  have  a  feeling  of  sorrow  tonight  —  I  was  not  born  in  Ridgefield,  and  so 
far  as  I  know,  not  a  single  relative  of  mine  on  the  face  of  the  earth  was  born 
within  fifty  miles  of  this  place.  To  be  sure,  I  am  what  might  be  termed  a 
Yankee  of  the  Yankees.  I  can  trace  the  line  straight  back  to  within  ten  years 
of  Plymouth  Rock.  I  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  in  the  heart  of  the  Berk- 
shires,  and  the  night  of  my  birth  was  made  luminous  by  the  burning  of  the 
mill  of  the  late  Cyrus  W.  Field,  in  plain  sight  of  the  house,  as  though  to  give 
me  a  welcome.  And  yet  all  this  and  much  more  that  I  might  add,  if  possible, 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  37 

seems  as  nothing  to  the  fact  that  I  was  not  born  in  Ridgefield.  It  would  have 
been  a  good  thing,  possibly,  if  I  could  have  been  born  anywhere  in  the  two 
hundred  years  past,  and  have  ceased,  so  long  as  I  had  had  a  birth  in  this  most 
valuable  place.  And  then  I  have  been  harassed  from  the  very  beginning  of 
thinking  about  this  matter,  that  I  could  not  find  an  illustration.  If  I  could 
only  have  found  an  old  person  of  150  years,  though  he  had  not  had  a  tooth  for 
the  last  fifty  years,  I  might  have  been  able  to  produce  something,  but  there  are 
none  existing,  so  the  absence  of  all  specimens  of  humanity  left  me  to  be  thank- 
ful alone  that  I  stood  as  a  representative  of  an  unchanging  body  of  ecclesias- 
ticism  that  meant  something  in  the  world,  and  whose  future  should  be  grander 
than  anything  in  the  past. 

I  am  not  here  to  speak  in  defence  of  Methodism  —  that  does  not  need 
defence.  I  am  here  to  give  you  a  few  facts  which  are  of  the  utmost  moment, 
especially  to  those  who  know  anything  about  them.  I  know  very  little  about 
Methodism  in  this  town  —  I  will  consent  to  that  —  I  am  the  youngest  minister 
on  this  platform.  I  have  here  a  very  short  past  and  a  very  little  present,  and 
no  certainty  about  the  future,  but  certain  facts  will  stand  because  they  do  not 
relate  to  me.  On  the  26th  day  of  June,  1789,  a  plain  man  on  horseback  ap- 
peared in  the  main  street  of  this  town.  He  was  late  from  New  York;  had 
stopped  once  in  Norwalk;  then  in  Redding;  had  preached  in  both  places,  and 
now  for  the  third  sermon  in  Connecticut  reached  Ridgefield.  His  name  was 
Jesse  Lee,  a  man  from  Virginia,  a  Virginian  by  birth,  who  already  had  reached 
a  commanding  place  in  the  ministry  as  a  preacher,  and  who  afterward  became 
a  chaplain  of  the  National  House  of  Representatives;  tied  in  the  General  Con- 
ference a  vote  for  the  episcopacy  in  the  Methodist  Church;  produced  the 
grandest  results  in  New  England  from  New  York  to  Boston;  and  when  he 
came  down  to  die,  as  though  he  saw  something  ahead  most  luminous,  cried 
out:  "Glory,  Hallelujah!  Jesus  reigns!"  and  went  on. 

Now  with  a  birth  like  that  there  ought  to  be  good  blood  in  the  body.  He 
was  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life  when  here  first,  and  it  makes  a  good  deal  of 
difference  sometimes  with  a  child  whether  the  parent  was  young  or  old  at  a 
certain  critical  period.  So  this  one,  born  well,  with  good  red  blood  —  it  was 
no  wonder  that  eight  months  afterward  there  was  a  class  meeting  organized 
over  in  Limestone,  and  Methodism  began  its  career  in  the  presence  of  the  en- 
trenched orthodoxy  of  New  England,  especially  in  Connecticut.  I  wonder  if 
any  of  you  know  anything  about  a  Methodist  class  meeting?  You  certainly 
do  not  unless  you  are  a  hundred  years  old.  Stand  up  if  you  are  here.  That 
is  good;  a  hundred  years  old,  each  of  you;  that  is  all  right.  Another  one; 
the  governor  is  always  rallying  us.  That  is  a  great  thing.  Then  you  knew 
about  their  poke  bonnets,  and  the  men  who  neither  wore  watches,  silver  nor 
gold,  and  who  had  the  plainest  attire;  but  beneath  the  poke  bonnets  were 
heads  full  of  brains,  and  the  men  were  forming  the  advance  guard  of  the 
people  who  were  to  help  hammer  New  England  orthodoxy  into  the  very  best 
shape,  that  should  be  of  use  generations  afterward  in  the  awful  conflict  of 
the  Civil  war. 


38  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

The  first  church  building  was  erected  in  1824.  Judging  from  the  looks 
of  the  second  church  that  was  built,  that  first  one  must  have  been  quite  a  plain 
affair.  We  can  only  be  sure,  however,  that  they  went  at  it  with  Methodist 
zeal,  and  dedicated  it  with  a  "  Glory !"  and  a  "  Hallelujah !"  We  may  also 
be  certain  that  there  was  an  altar  rail  there.  That  is  not  always  found  in 
modern  Methodist  churches, —  what  they  used  to  term  a  "Methodist  altar 
rail,"  where  penitents  left  their  marks  in  tears,  and  where  bowed  heads  re- 
ceived the  emblems  of  our  Lord  Christ,  and  arose  and  went  to  their  seats  happy 
in  their  sacred  trust.  In  1836  the  society  was  made  a  station.  Thirty-five 
ministers  have  been  here  since  that  time.  It  is  a  great  list.  Thomas  Sparks, 
in  whose  ministry  a  great  revival  broke  out,  A.  J.  Francis,  Nathaniel  Mead, 
the  two  Abbotts, —  Ira  and  Larman  W.,  J.  P.  Merwin,  George  Lansing  Taylor, 
the  peerless  preacher,  if  not  always  a  first-class  fisherman,  J.  A.  Chapman, 
possibly  the  best  of  the  list;  and  other  names  highly  honored,  some  alive,  some 
gone,  have  made  this  church  one  of  the  most  honored  in  New  England,  and 
nothing  surpassing  it  in  the  New  York  East  Conference  as  to  the  size  of  its 
membership. 

When  I  was  a  pastor  in  Brooklyn  I  had  in  my  church  a  Rev.  Dr.  well- 
known  all  through  this  country.  One  day  he  visited  a  friend,  and  said :  "  I 
have  just  walked  all  the  length  of  the  street  in  Ridgefield.  There  was  not  a 
man,  woman  or  child  to  be  seen.  I  don't  see  any  reason  why  Ridgefield  should 
ever  be  anything.  There  is  no  factory  there, —  no  place,  or  a  desire  for  a 
factory,  and  it  is  doomed  to  sterility."  I  don't  know  what  the  Dr.  is  now  do- 
ing—  he  has  been  dead  several  years  —  but  I  have  an  idea  that  if  he  doesn't 
know  any  more  now  than  he  did  then,  I  am  not  called  upon  to  further  pay  at- 
tention to  him.  I  just  want  to  say  this:  that  if  there  are  no  factory  steeples 
and  no  factory  whistles,  there  are  whistles  of  every  other  kind.  It  is  the  busiest 
place  I  know  of  for  its  size.  I  had  two  boys  here  last  year  to  spend  the  Fourth 
of  July ;  one  came  from  Brooklyn,  and  the  other  one  came  from  down  close  to  New 
York,  and  they  declared  it  was  the  noisiest  place  they  ever  got  into,  and  I 
judged  it  so. 

But  let  us  pass  over  to  the  churches.  Take  our  Methodism  if  you  please, 
as  a  body.  Our  ministers  used  to  be  called  graduates  of  brush  college,  and 
when  we  were  charged  with  having  little  education  we  declared  that  our  people 
were  all  well,  they  did  not  need  the  doctors,  and  so  we  got  along  with  a  shout 
and  a  glory,  but  it  is  not  so  now.  Methodism  with  its  colleges,  universities 
and  high  grade  schools  stands  at  the  very  front  of  denominationalism  in  this 
country  as  a  teaching  force,  and  no  one  asks  now  whether  the  Methodist  minis- 
ter is  qualified  for  a  D.D. —  in  most  cases  they  have  a  D.D.  You  find  them 
everywhere  you  go.  You  can't  miss  a  Methodist.  There  are  lawyers,  doctors, 
merchants  and  law  makers,  and  very  few  law  breakers.  You  can  rise  up  until 
you  reach  the  presidency  —  not  now,  but  in  the  past  —  and  you  would  find  a 
Methodist.  If  you  are  not  satisfied  with  taking  the  whole  field,  stop  in  Ridge- 
field,—  that  is  what  we  are  talking  about  just  now, —  stop  right  there.  Look 
at  the  church  —  it  is  no  longer  fronting  a  cemetery  —  please  keep  that  in  mind. 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  39 

I  have  heard  it  said  since  I  have  been  here  that  religion  was  at  a  very  low  ebb 
in  Ridgefield,  that  everything  seemed  doomed,  but  there  are  other  birds  than 
crows,  and  there  are  other  things  that  jump  than  frogs,  and  a  man  who  can't 
tell  a  ripe  strawberry  from  its  color  is  very  poorly  equipped  to  send  into  the 
field  to  pick  strawberries  for  the  market. 

This  church  right  opposite  —  why  you  can't  do  anything  without  coming 
here  to  the  center.  You  can't  have  a  Fourth  of  July  celebration  without  com- 
ing here  the  day  before  and  keeping  it  up  for  thirty-six  hours.  You  can't  have 
a  bi-centennial  celebration  without  coming  right  here  on  this  corner,  and  right, 
fronting  you,  in  the  very  heat  and  light  of  the  fire  of  Ridgefield  stands  the 
Methodist  church.  Not  only  that,  but  our  women  do  not  wear  bonnets  like 
the  old  scoop  bonnets,  and  thank  God,  they  don't  wear  many  of  the  merry  widow 
ones.  They  not  only  have  kept  their  sense,  but  they  haven't  had  any  nonsense, 
and  our  men,  our  merchants,  make  good  lawmakers  when  you  send  them  to  the 
legislature.  They  rise  right  up  through  the  scale  of  doctors,  lawyers  and  every- 
thing else,  until  they  reach  even  the  governor.  And  as  though  that  would  not 
satisfy  you,  you  have  got  to  go  and  find  a  man  who  can  lead  you  up  hill  and 
down  hill,  and  get  him  for  your  orator  tomorrow  night.  He  is  a  loyal  son  of 
Methodism,  whose  father  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  through  two  or  three 
generations  has  flowed  the  red  blood  of  Methodism.  That  is  what  Methodism 
is  in  this  town,  and  as  the  boy  said,  "  Please  don't  forget  it." 

There  is  one  thing  I  want  to  express  my  pleasure  in  at  this  time,  namely, 
that  four  such  ministers  as  we  are  can  stand  on  the  same  platform  at  such  a 
time  as  this.  We  make  no  surrenders ;  we  yield  nothing  to  sentimentalism ;  there 
isn't  one  of  us  but  what  if  necessary  would  become  a  sturdy  defender  of  the 
faith  that  is  within  him,  yet  somehow  we  get  together  on  this  platform,  and 
there  is  no  thought  of  what  one  might  say.  There  is  absolute  trust  between 
these  men  as  the  brethren  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  That  makes 
me  feel  that  somewhere  in  the  future, —  I  know  not  how  far  or  near  —  that  one 
branch  of  the  vine  will  not  be  taken  to  lash  another  branch,  and  it  will  not  make 
so  much  difference  to  either  God  or  man,  if  the  deepest  things  of  God  and  the 
highest  things  of  man  come  together.  We  have  reached  an  age  when  small 
things  will  not  hold,  but  things  grand  and  glorious  will  control  denominations 
and  men,  and  men  shall  be  .allowed  to  stand  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  every- 
one worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  conscience.  I  shan't  live  to 
see  that  day  fully,  but  we  are  passing  on  to  it. 

(Singing  hymn  by  chorus  and  audience:     "  Shepherd  of  tender  youth,"  etc.) 


40  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

ST.  MARY'S  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH 

REV.  R.  E.  SHORTELL,  Pastor 
Hon.  Chairman,  Rev.  Clergy  and  dear  Friends : 

With  great  pleasure  and  profit,  we  have  listened  to  the  reverend  gentle- 
men as  they  told  the  story  of  the  long  and  successful  mission  of  their  respective 
churches,  of  the  trials,  and  the  burdens,  which  came  to  them  as  they  must  come 
in  the  formative  period  of  every  enterprise,  commercial,  educational,  and  re- 
ligious. 

For  you,  Reverend  Gentlemen,  it  was  a  work  demanding  patient  research  — 
careful  and  scholarly  marshaling  of  those  names  and  events  that  were  buried 
in  the  archives  of  a  past  extending  back  nearly  200  years.  For  you,  it  was  as 
though  you  would  trace  the  intricate  genealogy  of  ancestors  whose  names  have 
long  since  passed  out  of  the  memory  of  the  oldest  citizens  of  our  beautiful  and 
historical  old  Ridgefield.  For  me  to  tell  you  tonight  the  story  of  St.  Mary's 
church  is,  indeed,  a  comparatively  easy  task,  for  it  is  as  though  when  you  had 
spoken  of  old  ancestors,  I  would  take  up  the  narrative  and  speak  of  the  child 
of  today,  and,  as  is  quite  natural,  give  to  that  youngest  born  all  the  attention 
and  affection  which  by  full  right  seems  to  be  the  heritage  of  the  one  who 
comes  in  our  maturing  years  to  fill  our  homes  with  its  evidences  of  young  life  — 
to  help  hold  up  our  hands  when  the  burdens  of  that  maturing  life  seem  only 
to  increase  with  years,  and  who  will  attempt  to  put  into  words  the  pleasure  — 
the  happiness  it  gives  to  all  in  the  community,  irrespective  of  family  tie, 
when  they  see  the  youngest  born,  waxing  strong  —  full  of  life  and  vigor,  and 
though  young  in  years,  having  its  loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and  its  breast-plate 
of  justice,  and  its  feet  shod  with  the  Gospel  of  Peace.  I  wonder  not,  tonight, 
Reverend  Gentlemen,  and  you  members  of  your  respective  churches,  if  your 
hearts  throb  with  pride  for  the  great  deeds  accomplished  by  those  old  pioneers 
of  your  churches,  with  gratitude  because  you  today  are  enjoying  the  heritage 
of  their  trials  and  their  sacrifices,  and  I  know  you  will  pardon  me,  if  in  looking 
backward,  the  same  emotions  of  pride  and  gratitude  thrill  in  my  heart,  and 
the  hearts  of  my  devoted  people,  as  we  recall  how  the  old  pioneers  of  our  faith 
gathered  in  humble  homes  —  the  public  hall  —  weary,  and  foot-sore  from  all 
the  neighboring  hamlets,  but  buoyant  of  heart,  and  cheered  beyond  the  power 
of  expression  with  the  message  sent  out  that  some  tireless  missionary  of  their 
faith  was  to  come  to  them.  It  was  to  them  a  Bethlehem  of  old,  and  they  came 
to  the  Crib  to  offer  gifts,  not  of  gold,  frankincense,  and  myrrh,  but  hearts  de- 
voted to  God,  loyal,  and  true.  Sturdy,  strong  pioneers,  though  your  names  would 
pass  from  our  memories,  your  faith,  and  your  deeds,  your  trials,  and  your 
sacrifices  in  the  cause  of  the  worship  of  God  are  today  remembered  most 
tenderly;  and  more  eloquently  than  human  tongue  can  speak,  your  story  is  told 
in  the  happiness  and  success  of  the  present.  The  mustard  seed  then  planted 
by  you  and  watered  by  the  sweat  of  your  brows,  is  today  the  strong,  leafy  tree, 
giving  rest  and  shelter  to  us,  a  grateful  generation. 

For  the  first  evidence  of  Catholicity  in  Ridgefield,  we  must  go  back  to  the 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  41 

year  1781,  when  the  French  Army,  under  Count  de  Rochambeau,  passe3 
through  Ridgefield  on  its  way  from  Providence,  R.  I.,  to  Bedford,  N.  Y., 
camping  in  Ridgebury  and  Ridgefield,  July  1st  and  2d.  Accompanying  this 
army  were  the  chaplains,  Robin,  Gluson,  Lacy,  and  St.  Pierre,  and  in  De 
Courcy's  history,  we  read  that  which  we  know  to  be  a  fact,  "  that  the  army  chap- 
lains were  often  surrounded  by  descendants  of  Irishmen  and  Acadians,  who 
now  saw  a  priest  for  the  first  time,  and  implored  them  to  stay."  From  then, 
1781  to  1848,  history  is  silent,  and  we  must  be  content  to  let  the  record  of  Cath- 
olicity between  those  dates  be  buried  in  an  unknown  past.  On  Thanksgiving 
Day  of  1848,  the  family  of  James  Brophy  came  to  Ridgefield,  followed  shortly 
by  other  families,  who  established  homes  in  this  village  and  the  neighboring 
hamlets,  until  it  was  estimated  that  from  50  to  75  people  assembled,  when  it 
was  announced  that  a -priest  was  to  visit  Ridgefield.  The  first  priest  of  whom 
mention  is  made  was  a  father  Ryan,  who,  while  on  his  way  from  Norwalk  to 
Danbury,  stopped  at  the  house  of  James  Brophy,  and  finding  two  of  his  rela- 
tives near  unto  death,  administered  the  last  rites  of  Mother  Church.  Follow- 
ing him,  came  Father  O'Farrell,  who,  finding  a  number  of  Catholics  in  the 
vicinity,  made  arrangements  to  celebrate  mass  once  a  month.  He  generally 
came  on  a  Saturday  evening,  and  having  officiated  Sunday  morning  about  8 
o'clock,  would  then  drive  to  Danbury,  and  officiate  there.  His  was  a  laborious 
work,  attending  to  the  wants  of  all  the  Catholics  scattered  about  in  the  different 
villages,  and,  so  great  was  the  strain,  he  lived  only  a  short  while.  He  was 
succeeded  by  a  Father  Smith,  following  whom  came  Fathers  Kelley  and  Drea. 
From  this  time  on,  the  Holy  Sacrifice  was  offered  up  in  the  homes  of  different 
families  until  it  was  found  necessary,  because  of  increasing  numbers,  to  hold 
services  in  the  old  town  hall.  At  length,  finding  the  time  was  opportune,  an 
effort  was  made  to  procure  land,  and  build  a  church.  The  number  of  Catholics 
were  few,  but  their  zeal  and  energy  in  the  cause  of  their  religion  made  light  of 
sacrifices  and  obstacles.  On  Nov.  23,  1867,  the  small  plot  of  ground  at  the 
foot  of  Catoonah  Street,  upon  which  is  now  standing  their  first  church,  was 
purchased  by  James  Enright  and  James  Walsh,  acting  in  the  name  of  the 
Catholic  community,  from  Geo.  R.  Selleck,  for  the  sum  of  $975.  At  the  time 
of  the  purchase  an  old  frame  dwelling  was  on  the  plot,  and  served  the  purpose 
of  a  church  until  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  which  took  place  in  1868,  in  the  old 
factory  that  stood  next  to  it.  After  the  destruction  of  this  building  they  re- 
turned once  more  to  the  homes  and  hall,  and  there  remained  for  nearly  9  years, 
until,  with  renewed  courage,  they  determined  upon  building  a  church.  Under 
the  leadership  of  a  few  brave  souls,  who  contributed  $50,  $30,  and  $20,  a  con- 
siderable sum  of  money  for  those  times,  the  whole  number  of  Catholics  almost 
to  a  man  entered  the  spirit  of  the  enterprise,  and  the  result  was  a  small  church 
sufficiently  large  to  hold  the  full  number,  and  yet  only  one-half  the  size  of  the 
present  small  edifice  at  the  foot  of  Catoonah  Street.  The  work  was  under- 
taken under  the  supervision  of  the  Rev.  Father  Lawlor,  rector  of  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Danbury,  who  at  first  diffident  of  success,  and  yet  having  confidence 
in  their  zeal  and  good  will,  gave  it  his  encouragement  and  support.  Upon  the 
6 


42  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

completion  of  the  building,  he  had  the  great  pleasure  to  receive  word  from 
Thomas  McGlynn,  the  collector  appointed  by  the  committee,  that  all  work  was 
completed,  and  all  bills  were  paid,  with  the  exception  of  some  $50  or  $60, 
which  Father  Lawlor  himself  contributed.  Up  to  this  time  they  had  no  resi- 
dent pastor,  and  depended  upon  Danbury  for  spiritual  assistance.  Some  time 
afterward,  Ridgefield  was  made  a  mission  to  Georgetown,  at  which  place  Rev. 
Thaddeus  Walsh  resided,  having  Redding  also  under  his  charge.  In  1880, 
Redding  having  been  attached  to  the  parish  of  Bethel,  Father  Walsh  moved 
to  Ridgefield,  keeping  Georgetown  as  a  mission.  Those  who  remember  Father 
Walsh  speak  of  him  as  a  kind,  genial  priest,  with  a  heart  full  of  zeal  and 
charity,  knowing  no  reluctance  when  it  was  a  question  of  duty  —  no  fatigue 
when  his  flock  called  upon  him  for  religious  assistance.  While  of  robust  ap- 
pearance he  was  not  at  all  a  well  man,  and  at  the  end  of  6  years  of  genuine 
priestly  life  he  was  called  to  his  reward.  It  was  during  his  pastorate  that  St. 
Mary's  cemetery  was  bought,  and  the  church  in  Georgetown  built.  Rev.  P. 
Byrne  succeeded  him,  and  for  6  years  faithfully  attended  to  the  congregations 
of  Ridgefield  and  Georgetown.  During  his  residence  here,  he  enlarged  the 
church,  and  made  other  necessary  improvements.  Father  Byrne  is  kindly  re- 
membered by  the  Catholic  and  non-Catholic  residents  of  Ridgefield,  who  speak 
of  him  as  a  generous,  whole-souled  priest  —  faithful  in  the  performance  of  his 
religious  duties.  In  1892  he  resigned  the  parish,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Joseph  O'Keefe,  a  scholarly  priest,  and  of  refined  sensibilities,  capable  of  im- 
mense influence  and  good  work,  had  his  health  permitted.  He  was  a  man  of 
mature  years,  and  the  hard  winter  work  of  attending  to  both  parishes  compelled 
him  to  resign  within  the  year  of  his  appointment.  His  resignation  having  been 
accepted,  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  R.  E.  Shortell,  was  transferred  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  McMahon  from  Danbury,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Ridgefield,  May 
30,  1893.  In  September  of  this  same  year  the  ground  upon  which  are  located 
the  new  church  and  parochial  residence  was  purchased  from  Jacob  M.  Lock- 
wood,  for  the  sum  of  $2,750,  and  the  following  May,  1894,  ground  was 
broken  for  the  parish  house.  In  May  of  1896,  the  new  church  was  commenced, 
and  on  July  4th  of  the  same  year,  the  cornerstone  was  laid,  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Tierney  officiating.  The  following  year,  July  5,  1897,  witnessed  the  completion 
and  dedication  of  their  new  church,  and  on  May  30,  1907,  the  new  club  house 
was  opened. 

It  must  indeed  be  a  pleasure  for  us  all  here  tonight  to  stop  for  a  moment 
in  the  rapid  trend  of  present  progress  and  look  backward  —  it  will  serve  us 
when  obstacles  loom  up,  and  we  are  called  upon  to  make  sacrifices  in  cause  of 
God  and  humanity  —  to  remember  the  deeds  and  sacrifices  of  those  who  have 
gone  before  us,  for  in  so  remembering  we  will  find  our  hearts  nerved  with  re- 
newed energy;  it  will  serve  to  remind  us  of  the  great  lesson  —  that  as  the 
gloom  and  the  sorrows  of  Calvary's  sacrifice  preceded  the  dawn  and  the  life 
of  the  great  Resurrection,  so  must  we  be  content  to  bear  sorrows,  and  to 
make  sacrifices  for  the  good  of  those  who  are  coming  after  us. 

Yes,  it  is  indeed  a  pleasure  to  look  backward,  but  fearfully  would  we  fail 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  43 

in  grasping  the  full  significance  of  this  Bi-Centennial  celebration,  were  we  of 
today  to  be  content  with  this  backward  glance.  We  are  of  the  present  with 
its  duties  and  obligations,  and  manfully  must  they  be  met  —  the  same  God  to 
worship  as  our  ancestors  in  the  past  —  the  same  grand  old  State  of  Connecticut; 
the  same  old  town  of  Ridgefield  to  claim  our  allegiance  and  support;  and  so 
long  as  circumstances  would  have  us  claim  Ridgefield  as  our  home,  let  us  be 
zealous  in  all  things  that  work  for  her  moral,  material  and  intellectual  good; 
let  us  add  honor  to  her  fair  name,  and  though  we  may  differ  in  religious  tenets,  we 
can  and  we  ought  to  respect  scrupulously  each  other's  rights,  privileges,  and 
opinions,  for  in  so  doing  we  will  stand  united  —  an  invincible  power  for  the 
present  and  future  progress  of  "  Beautiful  Old  Ridgefield." 


The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  order  of  exercises,  beginning  in  the  Town 
Hall  on  Tuesday,  July  7th,  and  concluding  with  an  address  on  the  evening  of 
that  day;  with  a  report  of  the  various  papers  and  addresses  presented.  All 
those  whose  names  appear  on  the  program  were  present  and  responded,  except 
Judge  Robt.  Jay  Walsh  and  John  E.  Keeler,  who  were  unexpectedly  de- 
tained and  sent  letters  of  regret. 


44  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

Ridgefield,  Conn. 
1708  =  1908 

Bicentennial  Celebration 

^  TOWN  HALL  jt 
Tuesday,  July  ft  A,  790.?,  1030  A.  M. 


PROGRAM 


AULD  LANG  SYNE  — CHORUS  AND  AUDIENCE 

1.  Should  auld  acquaintance  be  forgot,  3.    Yet  ever  has  the  light  of  song 

And  never  brought  to  mind;  Illumed  our  darkest  hours, 

Should  auld  acquaintance  be  forgot,  And  cheered  us  on  life's  toilsome  way, 

And  songs  of  auld  lang  syne,  And  gemmed  our  path  with  flowers. 

For  auld  lang  syne  we  meet  today,  The  sacred  songs  our  fathers  sang, 

For  auld  lang  syne,  Dear  songs  of  auld  lang  syne, 

To  sing  the  songs  our  fathers  sang  The  hallowed  songs  our  fathers  sang, 

In  days  of  auld  lang  syne.  In  days  of  auld  lang  syne. 

2.  We've  passed  through  many  varied  scenes,  4.    Here  we  have  met,  here  we  may  part, 

Since  youth's  unclouded  day,  To  meet  on  earth  no  more, 

And  friends,  and  hopes,  and  happy  dreams,  And  we  may  never  sing  again, 

Time's  hand  hath  swept  away;  The  cherished  songs  of  yore. 

And  voices  that  once  joined  with  ours,  The  sacred  songs  our  fathers  sang 

In  days  of  auld  lang  syne,  In  days  of  auld  lang  syne, 

Are  silent  now  and  blend  no  more,  We  may  not  meet  to  sing  again 

In  songs  of  auld  lang  syne.  The  songs  of  auld  lang  syne. 

5.    But  when  we've  crossed  the  sea  of  life 

And  reached  the  heavenly  shore, 
We'll  sing  the  songs  our  fathers  sing, 

Transcending  those  of  yore. 
We'll  meet  to  sing  diviner  strains 

Than  those  of  auld  lang  syne, 
Immortal  songs  of  praise  unknown 

In  days  of  auld  lang  syne. 

HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  RIDGEFIELD 

BY  THE  CHAIRMAN 

EARLY  RECORDS  OF  THE  TOWN  BY  COL.  HIRAM  K.  SCOTT 
REMINISCENCES  OF  BOYHOOD  DAYS  BY  CHARLES  B.  NORTHROP 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  45 

HOME  AGAIN  — CHORUS 

ADDRESS  BY  EX-GOVERNOR  PHINEAS  C.  LOUNSBURY 
ADDRESS  BY  EX-LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR  K  O.  KEELER 

ADDRESS  BY  JUDGE  HOWARD  B.  SCOTT 
CHORUS  — THE  RED,  WHITE  AND  BLUE 

ADDRESSES 

BY  JUDGE  ROBERT  JAY  WALSH 
JUDGE  JAMES  F.  WALSH 
JOHN  E.  KEELER 
CYRUS  NORTHROP,  LL.D. 

President  Minnesota  University 

SONG  AND  CHORUS  — THE  BATTLE  HYMN  OF  THE  REPUBLIC 


Tuesday  Afternoon 

Between  3  and  5  o'clock  there  will  be  a  Public  Demonstration  by  the  local  organiza- 
tions of  the  town,  in  which  the  children  will  participate.  Details  given  at  the  close  of  the 
morning  exercises. 


Tuesday  Evening 

AT   8    O'CLOCK,    PRECEDED   WITH    MUSIC  BY   THE   RlDGEFIELD    BAND 

CHORUS  — "The  Dearest  Spot  on  Earth  to  Me  is  Home,  Sweet  Home" 

ADDRESS  BY  CONGRESSMAN  E.  J.  HILL 
OF  NORWALK,  CONN. 

CLOSING  WITH  "AMERICA"  BY  CHORUS  AND  AUDIENCE 

My  country!    'tis  of  thee,  3.  Let  music  swell  the  breeze, 

Sweet  land  of  liberty,  And  ring  from  all  the  trees 

Of  thee  I  sing.  Sweet  freedom's  song; 

Land  where  my  fathers  died;  Let  mortal  tongues  awake, 

Land  of  the  Pilgrims'  pride;  Let  all  that  breathe  partake, 

From  every  mountain  side,  Let  rocks  their  silence  break, 

Let  freedom  ring.  The  sound  prolong. 

My  native  country!   thee,  4.  Our  fathers'  God!   to  Thee, 

Land  of  the  noble  free,  Author  of  liberty! 

Thy  name  I  love:  To  Thee  we  sing; 

I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills,  Long  may  our  land  be  bright 

Thy  woods  and  templed  hills,  With  freedom's  holy  light; 

My  heart  with  rapture  thrills,  Protect  us  by  Thy  might, 

Like  that  above.  Great  God,  our  King. 


46  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

HISTORICAL  STATEMENT 

BY  THE  CHAIRMAN,  WM.  O.  SEYMOUR 

The  ambitions  and  necessities  of  life  ever  keep  our  faces  toward  the  future, 
pressing  forward  in  the  pursuit  of  our  cherished  plans  and  purposes,  seldom 
turning  to  look  back  upon  the  path  over  which,  we,  and  the  generations  which 
preceded  us  have  come,  to  recall  the  struggles,  failures  or  successes  incident  to 
the  journey. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  the 
little  town,  which  some  of  us  are  proud  to  call  our  birthplace  and  home,  may 
we  not  be  pardoned  in  stopping  for  a  day  to  take  such  a  retrospective  view  of 
the  past? 

A  brief  account  of  the  condition  of  the  Connecticut  Colony  destined  to 
absorb  all  the  other  Connecticut  settlements,  just  previous  to  the  settlement  of 
the  town  of  Ridgefield,  may  not  be  amiss. 

It  was  established  by  the  settlement  of  the  towns  of  Hartford,  Windsor  and 
Wethersfield  by  emigrants  from  the  Massachusetts  Colony  in  the  fall  of  1635, 
others  following  in  the  spring  of  1636. 

The  leading  spirits  in  this  movement  were  men  of  rare  ability  and  foresight. 
Thomas  Hooker,  John  Haynes,  Thomas  Welles,  Roger  Ludlow,  William  Phelps, 
Captain  John  Mason,  John  Talcott,  John  Steele,  and  Edward  Hopkins  and  their 
associates  were  no  ordinary  men.  They  realized  that  if  the  colony  they  were 
establishing  was  to  be  permanent  and  continue,  some  orderly  system  of  govern- 
ment must  be  devised  "  to  regulate  order  and  dispose  of  the  affairs  of  the  people 
at  all  seasons,  as  occasion  should  require,"  hence  on  the  24th  of  January,  1639, 
they  framed  and  adopted  "  The  Fundamental  Orders,"  so  called,  the  first  written 
constitution  promulgated  in  America,  under  which  the  colonial  government 
was  administered  until  the  granting  of  the  charter  of  1662  by  Charles  the  Second, 
which  confirmed  and  continued  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  "  Fundamental 
Orders,"  and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  Sir  Edmond  Andros  to  secure  its  sur- 
render, continued  to  be  the  constitution  of  the  colony,  and  afterwards  of  the 
state  until  1818,  when  the  present  constitution  was  adopted;  Gen.  Joshua  King 
and  Abner  Gilbert  representing  the  town  of  Ridgefield  in  the  convention  at 
the  time  of  its  adoption. 

In  the  year  1700  the  Colony  of  Connecticut  consisted  of  four  counties,  viz.: 
Hartford,  New  Haven,  New  London,  and  Fairfield,  organized  by  the  Colonial 
Assembly  in  1666,  and  thirty  towns,  with  a  population  of  15,000  persons,  3,800 
of  these  being  males  over  sixteen  years  of  age;  and  had  a  grand  list  of  200,000 
pounds  sterling. 

Most  of  the  towns  were  then  located  on  the  shore  of  Long  Island  Sound 
and  along  the  banks  of  rivers  extending  inland  therefrom.  Town  privileges 
were  granted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  colonies,  with  the  right  of  repre- 
sentation therein,  upon  payment  of  the  taxes  assessed  for  the  support  of  the 
government,  which  assembled  alternately  at  Hartford  and  New  Haven. 

The  local  affairs  of  the  towns  were  administered  by  a  tribunal  elected  by 


. 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  47 

the  people  consisting  of  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than  seven  persons,  called 
"Principal  men,"  or  "townsmen"  (now  known  as  "Selectmen"),  the  first 
of  whom  was  styled  "  Moderator "  (now  designated  "  first  selectman ")  who 
had  no  vote  in  deciding  matters,  except  to  dissolve  a  tie. 

Previous  to  the  settlement  of  Ridgefield  only  six  towns  had  been  organized 
within  the  limits  of  what  is  now  known  as  Fairfield  County,  viz. :  Stratford, 
Greenwich,  Stamford,  Fairfield,  Norwalk  and  Danbury,  named  in  the  order  of 
their  organization.  These  were  the  conditions  which  existed,  when  in  1708, 
thirty-two  men,  twenty-nine  from  the  town  of  Norwalk  and  three  from  the  town 
of  Milford,  purchased  of  the  Indians,  for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds  ster- 
ling, a  tract  of  land  consisting  of  about  20,000  acres,  more  or  less,  comprising  a 
large  part  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  town  of  Ridgefield. 

Other  purchases  of  outlying  territory  were  made  of  the  Indians  from 
time  to  time,  the  last  being  in  December,  1739. 

The  purchasers,  in  the  deed  which  they  received  from  the  Indians,  were 
described  as  "  loyal  subjects  of  Her  Majesty  Queen  Anne,  Queen  of  Great 
Britain,  France  and  Ireland,  in  the  seventh  year  of  her  reign,"  which  extended 
from  1702  to  1714. 

The  tract  purchased  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  Danbury,  on  the  east 
by  Fairfield  (now  Redding),  south  by  Norwalk  and  west  by  New  York.  Per- 
mission to  make  the  aforesaid  purchase  was  given  by  the  Colonial  Assembly  at 
Hartford,  May  13,  1708,  which  was  consummated  by  a  deed  from  the  Indians 
dated  September  30,  1708,  and  ratified  and  approved  by  the  Assembly  at  its 
session  in  New  Haven,  October  13,  1709,  with  the  provision  that  the  entire  tract 
so  purchased  should  be  a  township  by  itself  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  Ridge- 
field. 

It  had  previously  been  called  by  the  Indians  Caudatowa,  meaning  high 
land,  800  feet  above  tide  water. 

On  November  8,  1708,  the  original  proprietors,  having  determined  to 
locate  the  town  site  upon  what  now  constitutes  the  main  street  of  Ridgefield, 
proceeded  to  lay  out  the  land  bordering  thereon  into  town  lots  containing  two 
and  one-half  acres,  which  were  distributed  by  lottery  between  the  several  pro- 
prietors on  November  25,  1708. 

The  sound  practical  business  sense  of  these  early  settlers  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  they  deemed  it  important  to  provide  themselves  with  such  mechanics 
as  were  needed  in  establishing  a  new  settlement,  one  of  whom  was  a  black- 
smith named  Benjamin  Burt,  to  make  and  keep  in  repair  the  tools  necessary 
for  reducing  the  forest  and  reclaiming  the  land  for  cultivation,  whose  shop 
was  located  near  the  site  of  the  M.  E.  church;  also  a  miller,  named  Daniel 
Sherwood,  to  convert  the  grain  raised  into  flour  and  meal  for  their  subsistence, 
whose  mill  was  located  at  the  outlet  of  Mamanasco  Lake. 

Their  desire  for  religious,  educational  and  social  privileges  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  although  confronted  with  the  arduous  task  of  subduing  the  forest 
and  providing  homes  for  their  families  and  shelter  for  their  beasts,  within  four 
years  from  the  date  of  settlement,  a  meeting  house  was  erected  on  the  green 


48  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

in  front  of  the  residence  of  Mrs.  D.  S.  Egleston,  which  was  used  for  the  triple 
purpose  of  a  church,  a  school  and  a  town  house. 

The  name  "  Meeting  house  "  by  which  it  was  designated  signified  more 
then  than  now,  when  the  people  were  practically  shut  in  their  forest  homes, 
deprived  of  intercourse  with  the  outside  world,  before  roads  were  constructed 
and  vehicles  brought  into  general  use.  It  was  the  common  meeting  place  for 
worship,  social  intercourse,  educational  purposes  and  for  the  municipal  govern- 
ment of  the  town. 

The  privations,  hardships  and  sufferings  of  the  pioneer  settlers  were  very 
great.  The  forest,  which  then  abounded  with  bears,  panthers,  wolves,  wild- 
cats, rattlesnakes  and  treacherous  Indians,  was  not  easily  subdued ;  the  soil 
was  rocky  and  with  difficulty  prepared  for  cultivation. 

Money  was  scarce  and  difficult  to  obtain,  with  no  surplus  products  and 
no  outside  market  yet  created  therefor,  and  no  roads  yet  constructed  connect- 
ing with  the  adjoining  settlements. 

The  settlements  on  the  shore  of  Long  Island  Sound  or  on  the  navigable 
streams  connecting  therewith,  with  an  abundance  of  sea  food  available  were 
not  so  entirely  dependent  upon  the  products  of  the  soil  for  their  subsistence. 

For  some  years  after  the  organization  of  the  town  it  was  unable  to  pay 
the  tax  levied  for  the  support  of  the  Colonial  government,  in  consequence  of 
which  it  was  deprived  of  representation  therein.  Taxation  and  representa- 
tion went  hand  in  hand.  The  neglect  of  the  one  involved  the  forfeiture  of  the 
other. 

Even  as  late  as  1740  the  towns  of  Ridgefield  and  Litchfield  were  censured 
and  fined  by  the  Colonial  Assembly  for  the  non-payment  of  taxes.  From  the 
records  it  appears  that  the  town  was  regularly  represented  thereafter. 

When  we  consider  these  facts,  we  are  prompted  to  exclaim,  all  honor  to 
our  sturdy  pioneer  ancestry,  who  at  the  cost  of  such  privation  and  suffering 
laid  the  foundations  of  the  splendid  civilization  which  we,  their  children,  now 
enjoy. 

Rudely  constructed  log  houses  sheltered  them  until  saw  mills  could  be 
constructed  upon  the  various  streams  to  produce  suitable  building  material 
for  the  construction  of  more  comfortable  homes. 

They  were  obliged  to  subsist  exclusively  upon  the  productions  of  the  soil, 
such  as  wheat,  rye,  corn,  buckwheat,  oats,  beans,  turnips,  potatoes,  beef,  mut- 
ton, pork,  etc. ;  and  the  minister,  doctor,  tailor,  shoemaker  and  all  other  laborers 
were  obliged  to  receive  such  articles  in  exchange  for  their  services;  and  the 
early  merchants  largely  received  such  products  in  exchange  for  their  goods. 

Clothing  for  winter  was  made  by  each  family  from  wool  produced  from 
the  sheep  which  were  numerously  raised;  and  for  summer,  from  flax,  which 
grew  abundantly. 

The  land,  except  the  homesteads,  and  that  upon  which  crops  were  raised, 
was  unenclosed,  and  pastured  in  common,  until  1760,  when  it  was  distributed 
among  the  various  owners  and  was  soon  after  enclosed. 

Each  owner  of  cattle  or  sheep  registered  in  the  town  records  the  par- 


GENERAL  BENEDICT  ARNOLD 

who  led  the  Patriots  against  the  British  in  the  bloody 

conflict  in  the  streets  of  Ridgefield  in  April,  177?  — 

Arnold  narrowly  escaped  as  his  horse  was  shot 

under  him  —  The  enemy  marched  through 

Ridgefield,   firing  the    Episcopal 

Church,  Keeler's  Tavern,  and 

dwellings  —  An  old  print 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  49 

ticular  ear  mark  which  designated  the  animals  belonging  to  him,  thus  enabling 
him  to  distinguish  them  from  those  of  his  neighbors,  an  object  now  accom- 
plished by  branding  the  initials  of  the  owner  upon  all  animals  roaming  at  large 
upon  public  lands. 

Swine  were  also  numerously  raised  in  the  early  years  of  the  settlement  and 
were  useful  for  food  and  for  exterminating  the  poisonous  serpents  which  were 
then  numerous. 

The  records  of  the  town  show  that  from  1740  to  1761,  those  who  repre- 
sented it  in  the  Colonial  Assembly  were  named  either  Benedict,  Smith,  Olm- 
stead,  Keeler  or  Hawley.  Of  the  thirty-three  years  between  1746  and  1779, 
Samuel  Olmstead  was  one  of  the  representatives  of  the  town  for  twenty-nine 
years,  and  from  1769  to  1791  Col.  Philip  Burr  Bradley  was  one  of  the  repre- 
sentatives for  nineteen  years,  it  evidently  being  the  practice  to  send  the  same 
representative  long  enough  to  enable  him  to  become  familiar  with  the  duties 
of  the  position,  and  thus  render  the  town  better  service  than  an  inexperienced 
person. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  record  of  the  events  of  the  town  immediately 
following  its  settlement  is  so  meagre,  for  the  beginning  of  things  is  always  in- 
teresting. Remember  it  was  twenty-four  years  before  George  Washington 
was  born  that  the  town  was  settled. 

Not  a  printing  press  in  the  colony  until  a  year  after  the  town  was  settled, 
and  not  a  newspaper  until  1755.  The  bible  and  the  catechism  were  about  the 
only  books  to  be  found  in  the  houses  of  the  people.  Books  for  the  instruction 
and  entertainment  of  children  were  rare.  Even  such  light  juvenile  literature 
as  the  New  England  Primer  was  not  published  until  between  1785  to  1790. 
The  only  relief  from  this  situation  for  a  long  time  was  from  the  instruction  and 
teaching  of  the  minister  as  the  families  assembled  in  the  meeting  house  from 
time  to  time. 

The  town  was  exceedingly  fortunate  in  its  early  selection  of  ministers  who 
established  and  endeavored  to  maintain  a  high  standard  of  morals  and  citizen- 
ship, for  the  times  in  which  they  lived.  The  mere  mention  of  their  names  con- 
firms this  statement:  the  Reverends  Thomas  Hawley,  Jonathan  Ingersoll  and 
Samuel  Goodrich,  honored  ancestors  of  three  distinguished  families,  each  of 
whom  had  much  to  do  in  forming  the  character  of  the  community  in  which  they 
lived,  labored  and  died. 

Thomas  Hawley  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  Ingersoll  and  Goodrich  of 
Yale,  both  of  these  institutions  then  in  their  infancy. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Goodrich  and  his  distinguished  son,  Samuel  G.  Good- 
rich, known  as  "  Peter  Parley,"  have  made  the  most  valuable  contributions  in 
existence  to  the  history  of  the  town,  during  their  residence  here.  Some  of  the 
character  sketches  of  various  persons,  made  by  the  son  "  Peter  Parley,"  are  ex- 
ceedingly clever  productions,  notably  those  of  "  Aunt  Delight  Benedict,"  his 
first  school  teacher,  "  Lieutenant  Smith,"  the  village  philosopher,  "  Master  Steb- 
bins,"  the  center  school  teacher,  "  Granther  Baldwin,"  the  miser,  "  Mat  Olm- 
stead," the  village  wit,  "  Bige  Benedict,"  the  expert  horseman,  "  Sarah  Bishop," 
7 


50  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

the  hermitess,  "  Grace  Ingersoll,"  at  the  French  Court,  "  Col.  Philip  Burr  Brad- 
ley," the  Federalist,  "  Gen.  Joshua  King,"  the  democrat,  and  others,  giving  a 
description  of  the  various  characters  living  in  the  town  in  his  school  boy  days. 
Just  here  for  the  information  of  the  younger  portion  of  the  community  let 
me  read  a  copy  of  a  conveyance  recorded  in  the  public  records  in  1740. 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  David  Scott,  of  Ridgefield,  in  the 
county  of  Fairfield  and  Colony  of  Connecticut  for  the  consideration  of  two 
hundred  pounds,  current  money  of  said  colony,  to  me  in  hand  well  and  truly 
paid  by  Vivus  Danchy  of  Ridgefield,  aforesaid  have  bargained  and  sold  and  by 
these  presents  do  fully  and  freely  and  absolutely  bargain,  sell,  convey  and  con- 
firm unto  the  said  Vivus  Danchy,  his  executors  and  administrators,  a  certain 
negro  woman,  named  Dinah,  and  a  negro  boy,  named  Peter,  to  be  servants 
or  slaves  during  the  term  of  their  natural  lives,  together  with  all  their  wearing 
apparel.  To  have  and  to  hold  the  said  slaves  as  aforesaid  to  the  said  Danchy,  his 
executors  and  administrators  for  the  term  of  their  lives. 

And  I,  the  said  David  Scott  do  hereby  covenant  to  defend  said  slaves  to 
said  Danchy,  his  executors  and  administrators  against  the  lawful  claims  of  every 
person  whatsoever. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  signed,  sealed  and  delivered  this  deed 
of  sale,  together  with  the  said  negro  woman  named,  Dinah,  and  the  negro  boy, 
named  Peter,  this  I3th  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1740. 

[Signed]     DAVID  SCOTT, 
Witness, 

EBENEZER  SMITH, 
TIMOTHY  KEELER. 

Recorded  June  19,  1749." 

This  was  by  no  means  an  uncommon  transaction  in  those  days,  and  was  not 
considered  discreditable  to  the  parties  concerned.  In  October,  1774,  the  Colonial 
Assembly  passed  a  law  forbidding  the  importation  of  slaves  into  the  colony  and 
prohibiting  the  traffic  resulting  therefrom,  but  it  did  not  emancipate  those  already 
so  held,  as  they  were  considered  the  lawful  property  of  its  citizens,  which  could 
not  be  confiscated  under  the  constitution  as  then  existing.  In  1795  there  were 
2,779  slaves  owned  in  the  State,  17  of  whom  were  still  living  in  1840. 

Other  interesting  extracts  from  the  public  records  could  be  produced  in- 
dicative of  the  character  and  spirit  of  these  early  settlers,  if  time  and  space  could 
permit. 

The  settlement  slowly  increased  in  numbers  until  in  1756,  its  population  was 
1,115  and  in  1774,  just  previous  to  the  Revolution,  was  1,708. 

The  people  of  the  town  were  slow  to  renounce  allegiance  to  the  government 
of  Great  Britain  and  on  January  30,  1775,  at  a  public  meeting  reaffirmed  their 
loyalty  to  the  parent  government  and  declined  to  adopt  the  measures  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  for  securing  and  defending  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the 


GENERAL  JOSHUA   KING 

of  Ridgefield,  the  guard  who  accompanied 
Major  Andre  to  the  gallows  in  the  Revolution — 
Painting  in  estate  of  his  grandson,  the  late 
J.  Howard  King,  and  loaned  by  his  widow 


GENERAL   DAVID   WOOSTER 

Hero  of  the  American  Revolution  —  Killed  by  a  musket  ball 

fired  by  a   Tory  during  an  engagement  two  miles 

north  of  Ridgefield  post  office  —  He  was  born 

in  Stratford,  March  2, 1710  —  Graduated 

at  Yale  in  1738  —  Died  May  2,  1777 

From  an  old  oil  painting  by  permission 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  51 

United  American  Colonies.  They  were  not  only  loyally  inclined  but  considered 
that  resistance  to  such  a  powerful  government  would  probably  be  unsuccessful  and 
ultimately  end  in  defeat,  confiscation  of  property  and  severe  punishment  for  the 
act  of  rebellion ;  and  most  cool,  clear  headed,  disinterested  observers  would  have 
thought  likewise.  But  upon  becoming  better  informed  of  the  determined  spirit 
which  pervaded  the  country,  on  December  I7th  of  the  same  year,  they  rescinded 
their  action  and  joined  heartily  with  their  fellow  colonists  in  the  long  struggle 
which  finally  ended  in  securing  the  freedom  of  the  colonies  from  the  unjust  re- 
quirements of  the  "  mother  country." 

Captains  Gamaliel  Northrop  and  David  Olmstead  each  raised  a  company 
of  soldiers  to  take  part  in  the  Revolution  which  followed  and  Col.  Philip  Burr 
Bradley  was  commissioned  as  colonel  of  the  Fifth  Connecticut  Regiment  in 
the  regular  army.  Col.  Bradley  was  a  graduate  of  Yale,  the  ancestor  of  a  promi- 
nent and  distinguished  family,  of  whom  Peter  Parley  says,  "  He  was  the  leading 
citizen  of  the  place,  in  station,  wealth,  education  and  power  of  intellect."  He 
was  afterwards  marshal  of  the  District  of  Connecticut  during  Washington's  ad- 
ministration, and  a  judge  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Fairfield  County. 

The  story  of  Gov.  Tryon's  raid  upon  Danbury  and  his  retreat  through  Ridge- 
field,  with  the  battle  which  occurred  at  the  north  end  of  the  main  street  of  the 
town,  evidences  of  which  remain  to  the  present  day,  has  been  told  many  times 
and  will  not  now  be  repeated. 

It  may,  however,  be  said  here,  that  it  is  not  creditable  to  the  town,  that  the 
battle  ground  has  not  been  before  this  suitably  designated  by  a  boulder  and 
bronze  tablet,  containing  a  brief  record  of  the  sanguinary  struggle,  for  the  in- 
formation of  the  coming  generations. 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  the  town  prospered  and  the  vari- 
ous surplus  products  were  carted  to  tide  water  and  shipped  by  sloops  to  the 
nearest  market. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Gen.  Joshua  King  came  to  Ridgefield,  married  the 
youngest  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Ingersoll  and  established  a  country 
store  (on  the  site  where  is  now  a  cottage  called  "Old  Hundred"),  under  the 
firm  name  of  King  &  Dole,  which  became  a  successful  business  concern,  which 
firm  afterwards  became  known  as  King  &  Hawley  (Mr.  William  Hawley  hav- 
ing married  Katherine,  the  daughter  of  Gen.  King),  later  as  Hawley  &  Bailey 
and  still  later  as  Bailey  &  Gage,  all  of  whom  acquired  what  was  then  considered 
a  handsome  competence  in  the  business. 

Abner  Gilbert  conducted  a  similar  store  at  the  north  end  of  the  street 
and  Squire  Thaddeus  Keeler  and  various  parties  were  interested  in  a  store  op- 
posite what  was  called  "  The  Big  Shop,"  until  now  known  as  the  "  Corner  Store." 
The  Danchys  also  conducted  a  store  in  the  center  of  the  village. 

At  one  time  carriages  were  manufactured,  also  cabinet  work,  shoes,  hats, 
tin  ware  of  various  kinds,  and  a  tannery  was  conducted  in  the  district  known  as 
"  Titicus,"  but  the  town  was  not  favorably  situated  for  either  mercantile  or  manu- 
facturing business,  and  through  the  change  of  industrial  conditions  these  various 
small  industries  gravitated  towards  the  business  centers  after  about  1850,  and 


52  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

since  that  time  our  most  enterprising  sons  have  done  likewise ;  and  upon  their 
invitation  many  of  our  daughters  have  followed  suit. 

Previous  to  1852  the  only  means  of  communication  with  the  world  outside 
of  Ridgefield  was  by  the  stage  coach,  but  in  that  year  the  Danbury  and  Norwalk 
Railroad  was  opened  for  use,  connecting  at  Norwalk  with  the  New  York  &  New 
Haven  Railroad  which  was  opened  in  1849,  and  until  1870,  when  the  Ridgefield 
branch  began  operation,  the  stage  coach  conveyed  all  passengers  into  and  out  of 
the  town  by  the  way  of  Branchville.  The  Danbury  and  Norwalk  Railroad  was 
located,  constructed  and  for  many  years  operated  under  the  superintendence 
and  direction  of  a  well-known  Ridgefield  man,  named  Harvey  Smith,  who  also 
constructed  a  portion  of  the  Hartford,  Providence  and  Fishkill  Railroad,  and 
who  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  capable  men  of  his  time. 

It  is  now  amusing  to  recall  that  when  it  was  proposed  to  construct  the  New 
York  &  New  Haven  Railroad,  parallel  with  the  shore  of  Long  Island  Sound,  in 
competition  with  Sound  navigation,  it  was  considered  a  very  unpromising  busi- 
ness undertaking,  amounting  almost  to  sacrilege  in  presuming  to  run  opposition 
to  what  was  called  "  God's  Highway." 

During  the  Civil  War  between  1861  and  1865  the  town,  in  common  with 
the  other  towns  of  the  state,  responded  to  the  call  of  the  general  government 
and  sent  one  hundred  and  sixty  soldiers  to  the  seat  of  war  in  defence  of  the 
Union. 

An  unusual  honor  was  conferred  upon  the  town  in  1886,  by  the  selection 
of  one  of  its  citizens,  the  Hon.  Phineas  C.  Lounsbury,  as  the  candidate  of  the 
Republican  party,  for  the  office  of  Governor  of  the  State.  He  was  elected  by 
the  legislature  and  his  administration  extended  from  January,  1887,  to  January, 
1889. 

In  1898  this  honor  was  repeated  by  the  election  of  the  Hon.  George  E. 
Lounsbury  to  the  same  office,  in  which  he  served  from  January  1899,  to  January, 
1901.  He  died  in  1904,  lamented  by  the  town  and  state. 

Again  in  1902,  another  citizen  of  the  town,  the  Hon.  Melbert  B.  Gary,  was 
a  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party  for  the  office  of  governor,  and  though  he 
failed  of  an  election,  that  fact  did  not  affect  the  high  regard  which  the  people 
of  Ridgefield  entertain  for  him  personally. 

For  the  last  twenty-five  years  the  character  of  the  population  of  the  town 
has  greatly  changed.  The  young,  active,  energetic  portion  of  the  native  popula- 
tion has  migrated  to  the  larger  business  centers  for  employment  and  their  places 
have  been  filled  by  people  from  New  York,  Brooklyn,  Boston,  Albany  and  other 
cities,  who  have  been  attracted  hither  by  the  elevation,  healthfulness,  beautiful 
scenery  and  quiet  restfulness  of  the  location,  coupled  with  its  proximity  to  the 
great  metropolis  of  New  York,  being  about  fifty  miles  distant  therefrom. 

Thus  for  various  reasons,  the  place  has  become  to  a  large  extent  a  summer 
residence  of  city  people,  the  population  remaining  about  the  same  as  heretofore, 
viz.:  2,626. 

It  is  fortunate  for  the  place  that  a  very  choice  class  of  people  have  been 
attracted  hither,  who  have  taken  an  active  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community. 


COL.   HIRAM    K.    SCOTT 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  53 

To  one  of  these,  now  deceased,  Mr.  James  Morris,  we  are  indebted  for  the 
Ridgefield  Library  building,  costing  between  $35,000  and  $40,000  and  to  others 
for  its  furnishings  and  site  and  outside  improvements,  together  with  a  library 
of  6,400  volumes,  representing  a  total  expenditure  of  about  $65,000. 

A  borough  organization  was  established  in  1901  and  public  water  has  been 
introduced ;  a  sewer  system  established  and  the  streets  and  many  of  the  dwellings 
and  business  places  are  lighted  with  electricity. 

I  must  stop,  although  the  half  has  not  been  told.  What  is  the  lesson  to  be 
learned  from  the  experience  of  the  past  two  hundred  years?  Imitate  the  ex- 
ample of  your  ancestors  in  at  least  three  respects  —  maintain  the  churches,  also 
a  good  system  of  education  for  the  children  and  lastly  insist  upon  having  a 
good  wholesome  system  of  municipal  government  that  will  preserve  law  and 
order  and  protect  the  rights  of  persons  and  property. 

Identify  yourselves  with  and  become  an  active  part  of  each  of  these  three 
essential  requisites  of  an  ideal  community,  for  no  sensible  person  will  be  willing  to 
establish  a  home  and  purchase  property  in  the  midst  of  a  godless,  illiterate,  and 
lawless  people.  Any  town,  state  or  government  ignoring  these  three  requisites 
is  doomed  to  failure.  History  proves  this  beyond  question. 

These  facts  your  ancestors  realized  when  they  settled  this  town  two  hundred 
years  ago. 

The  voices  out  of  the  past  summon  the  young  men  of  today  to  advance 
to  a  higher  plane  of  manhood  and  citizenship  than  that  heretofore  occupied  and 
to  look  out  upon  a  broader  field  of  activity  and  usefulness  than  that  which  merely 
circumscribes  the  narrow  limits  of  their  own  selfish  interests.  Many  in  the 
past  have  responded  to  this  summons  and  gone  out  into  the  world  and  made 
for  themselves  a  record  of  which  we  and  they  have  reason  to  be  proud.  May 
such  instances  multiply  and  increase  in  the  future,  as  the  result  of  the  superior 
advantages  and  greater  opportunities  of  the  present. 

By  COL.  HIRAM  K.  SCOTT,  Town  Clerk 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: — At  this  Bi-Centennial  Celebration 
of  the  birth  of  this  small  but  very  interesting  Town  of  Ridgefield,  I  would 
much  rather  be  a  listener  in  the  audience,  than  a  speaker  on  the  platform;  but 
as  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  urged  that  it  was  my  duty  to  do  what  I  could  to  make  this 
Bi-Centennial  worthy  to  be  remembered  by  all  who  participated  in  it,  and  as  a 
lineal  descendant  of  the  pioneers  of  the  town,  it  was  doubly  my  duty.  And  I 
think  I  can  truly  claim  that  honor,  through  two  grandmothers  both  Olmsteads, 
and  one  grandfather  a  Keeler.  My  grandfather  Scott  was  only  three  years 
behind  the  first  settlers  in  1708,  having  bought  the  share  of  one  of  the  first  pur- 
chasers, who  did  not  live  to  take  possession  of  his  share  of  the  new  home.  I 
think  therefore  I  can  without  fear  of  contradiction  say,  that  I  am  a  genuine 
descendant  of  those  pioneers  in  the  wilderness  of  the  township  of  Ridgefield 
in  1708. 

And  as  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  suggested  that  as  I  had  been  connected  with 


54  i?°8     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 


the  civic  affairs  of  the  town  longer  than  any  other  man,  it  would  probably  be 
of  interest  to  many  to  hear  something  about  the  two  most  important  offices  of 
the  town,  viz.  :  "  The  Town  Clerk,"  and  the  "  Probate  Court,"  with  both  of 
which  I  have  been  connected  for  many  years. 

And  in  compliance  with  his  request,  I  will  give  you  as  briefly  as  possible 
a  few  facts  concerning  these  two  offices,  whose  importance  to  the  welfare  of 
towns  in  the  State  is  not  as  well  understood  as  it  should  be  by  a  majority  of 
the  people,  who  are  benefited  by  the  work  of  the  Town  Clerk  and  the  Judge  of 
Probate. 

Few  people  realize  that  the  quiet  possession  of  their  real  estate  depends 
upon  the  records  of  these  two  offices. 

It  is  very  remarkable  that  our  records  have  been  so  well  preserved.  For 
about  150  years  the  town  records  were  kept  in  private  houses  (the  residences 
of  the  Town  Clerks),  and  not  until  1853  was  a  safe  or  vault  provided  for  their 
safe  keeping,  then  a  vault  was  built  and  used  twenty  years,  then  safes  were 
bought  and  placed  in  the  Town  House  which  was  built  on  this  spot  in  1876. 

In  1895  the  Town  House  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  books  came  out 
safe  and  uninjured,  except  that  the  bindings  of  40  volumes  were  so  damaged 
that  they  had  to  be  rebound. 

They  are  now  in  a  vault  within  this  building  where  they  are  safe  from  fire. 

The  first  volume  of  Land  Records  so-called  was  commenced  in  1709  and 
the  first  entry  therein  was  as  follows: 

At  a  town  meeting  convened  in  Ridgefield,  December  n,  1709,  the  town 
by  a  major  vote  have  choosen  John  Copp  of  the  Town  of  Nor  walk  to  accept 
ye  office  of  register  for  us,  to  record  what  by  law  is  required,  for  ye  year  ensu- 
ing and  on  February  3,  i7O9-'io  was  sworn  according  to  law. 

Recorded,  February  3,  i7O9-'io. 

JOHN  COPP,  Recorder. 

The  next  instrument  recorded  was  the  deed  from  the  Ramapoo  Tribe  of 
Indians  and  their  associates  to  the  proprietors,  viz.  :  John  Belden,  Samuel 
Keeler,  Sen.,  Matthias  Saint  John,  Benjamin  Hickcock,  John  Beebee,  Samuel 
Saint  John,  Mathew  Seamor,  James  Brown,  Benjamin  Wilson,  Joseph  Birch  - 
ard,  John  Whitne,  Sen.,  John  Bouton,  Joseph  Keeler,  Samuel  Smith,  Junior, 
Jonathan  Stevens,  Daniel  Olmstead,  Richard  Olmstead,  John  Sturtevant, 
Samuel  Keeler,  Junior,  Joseph  Bouton,  Jonathan  Rockwell,  Edward  Waring, 
Joseph  Whitne,  Daniel  Olmstead,  Thomas  Hyatt,  James  Benedick,  Joseph 
Crampton,  Ebenezer  Sension,  Matthias  Saint  John,  all  of  the  Town  of  Nor- 
walk  in  ye  County  of  Fairfield  in  her  Majesties  Colony  of  Connecticut,  in  New 
England,  and  Thomas  Smith,  Thomas  Canfield  and  Samuel  Smith  of  ye  Town 
of  Milford  in  ye  County  of  New  Haven  and  Colony  aforesaid,  which  was  signed 
on  ye  3Oth  day  of  September  in  ye  seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  our  Sovereign 
Lady,  Anne,  Queen  of  England,  and  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord  God  1708. 

John  Copp  served  as  recorder  until  1712  when  Rev.  Thomas  Hawley,  the 
first  minister  of  Ridgefield,  was  elected  register. 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  55 

He  served  until  1735,  when  Timothy  Keeler  was  elected  town  clerk,  who 
held  office  until  1748,  Stephen  Smith  was  elected,  whose  term  of  office  expired 
in  1775,  Benjamin  Smith  was  elected,  who  held  the  office  until  1797,  Samuel 
Stebbins  was  elected  and  served  until  1836,  Nathan  Smith  was  chosen  to  fill 
his  place  and  served  until  1852.  Hiram  K.  Scott  was  elected  in  1852  and  per-i 
formed  its  duties  until  1861,  Lewis  H.  Bailey  succeeded  him  and  served  for 
one  year,  Henry  Smith  2d  was  town  clerk  for  one  year  until  1863  when  Albert 
N.  Thomas  was  chosen  and  served  three  years,  Elijah  L.  Thomas  was  his  suc- 
cessor serving  for  five  years.  In  1872,  Hiram  K.  Scott  was  re-elected  and  has 
served  continuously  until  the  present  time. 

John  Copp  served  as  Town  Clerk,  5  Years. 

Rev.  Thomas  Hawley  21  Years. 

Timothy  Keeler  13  Years. 

Stephen  Smith  27  Years. 

Benjamin  Smith  22  Years. 

Samuel  Stebbins  39  Years. 

Nathan  Smith  16  Years. 

Hiram  K.  Scott  45  Years. 

L.  H.  Bailey  I  Year. 

Henry  Smith  i  Year. 

Albert  N.  Thomas  3  Years. 

Elijah  L.  Thomas  5  Years. 


12  Town  Clerks  in  all,  198  Years. 

and  I  have  the  honor  of  having  served  six  years  longer  than  any  other  town  clerk. 

In  1852  there  were  only  19  volumes  of  Land  Town  Records,  now  there  are 
40.  29,000  deeds  and  other  instruments  have  been  recorded  in  the  land  records. 
Not  until  1847  was  there  any  law  making  compulsory  the  registration  of  births, 
marriages,  and  deaths.  Since  then  the  records  are  nearly  perfect.  Previous  to 
that  time  the  town  clerk  recorded  only  those  that  were  brought  to  his  knowledge 
and  are  of  course  imperfect. 

Yet  there  are  records  on  our  vital  statistics  of  6,700  births,  1,648  marriages, 
3,863  deaths;  making  12,211  entries  in  the  town  records  of  vital  statistics. 

The  duties  of  the  town  clerk,  although  looked  upon  by  most  people  as  very 
light  and  of  little  importance,  are  in  fact  very  onerous  and  exacting.  For  the 
past  20  years,  there  has  been  a  deluge  of  genealogical  searchers  trying  to  find 
out  whether  their  ancestors  had  a  coat  of  arms  or  not.  The  town  clerk  must 
wait  upon  them  and  render  such  assistance  as  they  demand,  and  hardly  a  week 
passes,  but  his  time  is  taken  up  for  many  hours,  without  any  remuneration. 

The  real  estate  business  for  the  past  fifteen  years  has  been  very  large,  and 
title  searchers  from  various  places  are  here  almost  every  day  in  the  week,  and 
they  expect  the  town  clerk  to  know  every  person  who  ever  owned  land  in  the 
town,  and  to  remember  how  many  children  they  had,  and  whether  alive  or  dead, 
and  also  to  know  all  about  the  settlement  of  their  estates,  and  to  give  them  the 
exact  dates  of  the  births  and  deaths  of  the  heirs  to  the  same. 

And  he  is  called  upon  daily  to  answer  questions  which,  if  answered  to  their 


56  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

satisfaction,  saves  them  the  fee  of  an  attorney.  All  these  services  are  expected 
to  be  rendered  free  of  charge.  Yet  the  town  votes  to  the  town  clerk  the  munifi- 
cent sum  of  not  over  $250  per  year. 

The  Town  of  Ridgefield  belonged  to  the  Probate  District  of  Danbury  until 
1841,  when  it  was  made  a  Probate  District  by  the  Legislature. 

Harvey  Smith  was  its  first  judge  and  served  one  year,  when  William  Sher- 
wood was  elected  and  served  two  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Harvey  Smith 
who  served  one  year,  then  Jacob  T.  Haviland  for  one  year,  and  then  Harvey 
Smith  for  one  year,  Ebenezer  Hawley  for  four  years,  Edward  Couch  two  years, 
Henry  Smith  2d  for  one  year,  then,  Hiram  K.  Scott  who  continued  in  office  15 
years. 

Then  D.  Smith  Sholes  for  one  year. 

Elijah  L.  Thomas,  two  years. 

Then  Hiram  K.  Scott  again,  who  served  20  years. 

Then  William  O.  Seymour  who  served  nearly  10  years  and  last  Harvey  P. 
Bissell,  who  was  elected  in  1902  and  is  now  the  presiding  judge. 

In  addition  to  his  service  as  judge,  Hiram  K.  Scott  has  served  18  years  as 
clerk  of  the  court. 

There  have  been  n  judges  in  the  past  67  years, —  whose  terms  of  office 
were  as  follows,  viz : 

Harvey  Smith,  4  Years. 

William  Sherwood,  2  Years. 

Jacob  T.  Haviland,  i  Year. 

Ebenezer  Hawley,  4  Years. 

Edward  Couch,  2  Years. 

Henry  Smith,  2d,  i  Year. 

Hiram  K.  Scott,  35  Years  as  Judge  and  18  years  as  Clerk. 

Elijah  L.  Thomas,  2  Years. 

William  O.  Seymour,  Nearly  10  years. 

Harvey  P.  Bissell,  6  Years  and  now  in  office. 

The  records  of  the  court  up  to  1854  were  all  contained  in  i  volume ;  now  there 
are  17  volumes  averaging  600  pages  each. 

One  thousand  and  eighty-two  estates  have  been  probated,  and  guardians  ap- 
pointed for  159  minors,  besides  many  persons  committed  to  the  Insane  Asylum 
and  County  Home. 

Only  one  appeal  from  its  decision  has  been  carried  to  the  Supreme  Court 
and  that  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  Probate  Court's  decision. 


BY  CHARLES  B.  NORTHROP 

Mr.  Chairman,  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen :  It  is  true  I  am  a  son  of  Ridge- 
field, born  here,  and  have  lived  here  nearly  all  my  life.  I  am  sure  of  it,  but  I 
am  not  so  sure  I  can  say  anything  that  will  be  of  interest  to  you.  I  propose  to 
tell  you  in  an  informal  way  of  some  of  the  recollections  I  have  of  old  Ridge- 
field from  a  time  about  sixty-five  years  ago. 


CHARLES  B.  NORTHROP 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  57 

I  was  born  in  what  is  now  known  as  Catoonah  Street.  There  was  no  great 
convulsion  of  nature  at  my  advent,  neither  was  the  sky  lit  up  by  flames,  as  we 
learn  marked  the  advent  of  one  of  our  distinguished  speakers.  I  suppose  he 
was  there  and  knows  all  about  it,  but  I  can  find  no  record  of  it  in  history.  The 
old  house  occupied  the  site  now  owned  by  Charles  B.  Staples.  It  was  one  of 
those  old-fashioned  colonial  houses  which  used  to  be  so  common  in  the  country, 
two  stories  in  front,  nine  windows,  and  a  tower  in  the  center, —  the  back  roof 
sloping  down  to  about  seven  or  eight  feet  from  the  ground.  I  am  not  positive 
that  it  was  colonial  —  it  was  the  same  type  as  the  house  known  as  the  Stebbins 
place,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Olcott ;  also  the  house  that  stood  on  the  place  where 
I  now  live,  which  I  know  was  a  local  hospital  at  the  time  of  the  revolution.  Tradi- 
tion says  that  at  that  time  one  of  the  nurses  ran  out  with  a  red  petticoat  on  a 
broomstick  and  warned  the  right  wing  of  the  British  Army  of  the  character  of 
the  house.  So  I  judge  from  my  remembrance  of  that  house  that  it  was  standing 
at  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  There  is  but  one  house  in  the  town  of 
that  style  standing  as  it  did  in  the  old  days,  and  that  is  below  the  Ridgefield  Inn, 
on  the  estate  of  John  S.  Keeler.  That  old  house  I  believe  stands  precisely  as  it 
did  sixty-five  years  ago,  except  the  necessary  repairs  to  keep  it  habitable.  There 
is  the  same  old  high-paneled  wainscoting,  I  think,  in  the  interior,  which  has 
never  been  changed  in  the  slightest  degree. 

At  that  time  on  Catoonah  Street,  between  our  house  and  the  village,  on  the 
south  side  there  was  no  building  at  all  until  down  at  the  corner  where  the  old 
house  owned  by  Hiram  K.  Scott  stood.  The  barn  in  the  rear  stood  on  a  high 
bank.  I  remember  very  well  the  elevation,  because  Walter  Treasher  left  his 
cart  there,  and  it  was  a  favorite  trick  for  the  boys  to  start  it  rolling  down  hill. 
He  soon  grew  wise  and  put  it  in  his  barnyard.  On  the  place  where  we  now 
stand  was  one  of  those  old  houses  of  the  style  I  spoke  of,  occupied  for  many 
years  by  Harriet  Bradley,  who  lived  here  a  quaint  and  curious  life.  Of  course 
you  all  know  the  old  Congregational  Church,  that  typical  feature  of  all  New 
England  villages,  which  stood  there  as  long  ago  as  I  can  remember,  until  the  re- 
cent change.  It  was  a  matter  of  curiosity  to  me  to  climb  up  inside  of  that  roof. 
How  they  were  able  to  raise  that  by  main  strength  was  always  a  puzzle  to  me. 
The  church  during  all  that  time  had  never  been  very  much  altered,  although 
about  the  time  that  I  was  born,  or  before,  quite  material  changes  were  made. 
The  pews  were  taken  out  and  slips  replaced.  I  think  in  early  times  there  were 
doors  on  the  north,  south  and  east,  if  I  have  not  been  wrongly  informed. 

Of  course  you  all  remember  one  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  church  and 
also  the  guard,  was  the  tithingman.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  tithingman  to  pro- 
hibit anybody  traveling  on  Sunday.  It  happened  one  day  that  a  person  was 
traveling  to  the  north,  and  passing  by  the  door  was  observed  by  the  tithingman. 
He  ran  out  and  stopped  him,  and  very  shortly  a  severe  thunderstorm  broke  over 
the  country,  and  it  was  about  to  drench  him,  and  the  tithingman  wanted  him 
to  go  back.  The  traveler  said  "  No,  if  it  is  wrong  for  me  to  travel  at  all,  it  is 
wrong  for  me  to  go  back  a  step."  I  never  learned  whether  the  tithingman 
stood  out  and  got  drenched  or  not,  or  whether  he  let  the  man  go  on. 
8 


58  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

Another  old  feature  I  remember  was  what  we  termed  the  "  big  shop,"  where 
the  Congregational  Church  now  stands.  It  was  famed  in  the  country  round  for 
the  very  excellent  work  turned  out, —  carriages  and  coaches,  mostly  coaches,  sold 
in  the  South  in  great  measure.  I  have  often  wondered  if  the  "  one  hoss  shay," 
was  not  made  at  the  old  shop,  for  I  have  heard  people  outside,  as  far  west  as 
the  western  boundary  of  Westchester  county  boast  of  having  a  coach  made  in 
Ridgefield  and  tell  how  excellent  it  was. 

Of  my  schoolboy  days  I  have  nothing  particular  to  tell,  but  I  will  describe 
as  best  I  can  the  first  little  schoolhouse  where  I  ever  attended  school;  it  was  a 
duplicate  exactly  of  the  schoolhouses  of  that  day.  It  stood  just  west  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  half  in  the  lot  and  half  out  in  the  street.  It  was  built  prob- 
ably 1 6'  or  1 8'  by  20'  or  24'.  The  door  opened  to  the  east,  and  the  benches 
for  the  scholars  were  on  each  side,  facing  the  wall.  The  desk  was  a  board, 
and  I  don't  remember  whether  there  was  any  shelf  under  it  to  hold  the  books 
or  not.  I  remember  the  seats  were  made  of  slabs  with  auger  holes  bored  through 
and  pegs  driven  in,  and  to  get  to  our  seats  we  had  to  climb  over.  Our  faces 
being  to  the  wall,  we  could  not  with  any  comfort  keep  track  of  the  teacher.  That 
reminds  me  of  the  story  of  Warren  Hoyt.  He  was  not  doing  his  work  properly 
and  his  employer  said  to  him :  "  Warren,  I  wish  you  would  do  better ;  it  takes 
me  all  my  time  to  watch  you."  Warren  said :  "  Well,  it  takes  all  my  time  to 
watch  you."  So  with  us.  We  never  could  tell  whether  the  teacher  was  looking 
at  us  or  not. 

I  don't  remember  precisely  who  my  first  teacher  was,  but  I  remember  one, 
not  so  much  for  what  he  taught  me,  but  for  his  rather  peculiar  way  of  punishing 
us.  In  the  summer  time  he  had  a  cord  hitched  from  the  ceiling,  and  if  we  did 
anything  contrary  to  the  rules,  we  were  tied  by  the  big  toe  and  had  to  stand 
there  until  we  were  sufficiently  punished.  In  the  winter  time  he  would  substi- 
tute sending  a  boy  out  to  get  an  armful  of  wood  and  bring  it  in.  Of  course  we 
had  no  wood  house;  the  wood  was  piled  outside  and  had  to  be  brought  in  in 
sufficient  quantities  to  last  us  during  the  day.  He  would  send  a  boy  out  and 
tell  him  to  come  back  with  an  armful  of  wood,  and  when  he  had  got  it  said  to 
him :  "  Now  you  stand  and  hold  it."  I  remember  more  about  him  than  I  do 
any  of  the  others.  Most  of  my  teachers  I  have  lost  track  oft  whether  living  or 
dead.  Three  of  them  are  with  us  here  today,  and  I  am  proud  to  say  they  have 
grown  up  to  be  quite  respectable  men.  I  say  I  am  proud  of  it,  for  I  feel  that 
the  exertion  they  had  to  make  to  get  me  started  up  the  hill  of  knowledge  must 
have  been  a  great  factor  in  developing  them  mentally  and  physically.  Hiram 
K.  Scott  was  one  of  the  oldest.  I  remember  Benjamin  K.  Northrop  was  one  of 
my  teachers. 

The  stores  as  I  remember  them  seemed  to  be  the  club  houses  or  gathering 
places  for  the  community  in  the  new  centers.  I  can  remember  that  every  store, 
so  far  as  I  know,  had  its  little  club,  which  gathered  nightly  with  great  regularity 
to  hear  the  news  and  take  it  home  to  their  wives.  Newspapers  were  very  un- 
common, and  that  seemed  to  be  the  only  way  to  get  the  news  then.  Woe  to  the 
boy  that  had  to  go  to  one  of  those  stores  at  night,  for  he  was  sure  to  be  asked 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  59 

funny  questions  and  be  made  all  the  fun  of  possible.  I  remember  going  into 
Hawley  &  Bailey's  store,  one  night  along  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  when  a  farmer 
came  in  to  get  a  bag  of  rock  salt.  He  shouldered  his  bag  and  started  towards 
the  door,  when  someone  asked  him  a  civil  question.  He  stopped  to  answer  it, 
and  after  he  got  through  with  him  another  one  took  it  up.  So  they  kept  the 
old  fellow  holding  that  bag  of  salt  for  quite  a  while.  After  a  while  the  old 
chap  caught  on,  showed  that  he  had  the  power  of  expressing  himself  in  very 
forcible  if  not  elegant  language,  and  made  his  exit. 

The  political  history  of  Ridgefield  I  don't  know  much  about.  I  never  have 
been  much  of  a  politician,  but  it  always  seemed  to  me  as  if  we  had  more  fun 
years  ago,  before  this  law  prohibiting  any  discussion  within  seventy-five  feet 
of  the  polls  went  into  operation.  I  remember  as  a  schoolboy  I  used  to  delight 
in  coming  to  town  meeting  or  election  and  hear  discussions  between  opponents 
of  different  parties.  It  was  astonishing  the  amount  of  political  wisdom  that 
was  developed.  I  have  since  thought  it  was  no  wonder  that  we  were  able  to 
furnish  the  state  with  governors.  We  have  furnished  the  state  with  any  num- 
ber of  prominent  men.  Certainly  the  knowledge  and  training  developed  in 
those  early  days  must  have  borne  fruit.  I  am  not  a  member  of  the  Ananias 
club,  and  I  do  not  want  to  be  considered  a  candidate  for  it,  but  I  am  going  to 
say  something  I  can't  account  for.  I  remember  —  it  is  impressed  upon  my 
mind  very  distinctly  —  seeing  a  procession  go  by  with  a  log  cabin  on  a  pole. 
That  log  cabin  was  used  as  a  presidential  emblem  in  1841,  at  the  time  of  Harri- 
son's election.  The  emblem  grew  out  of  the  regular  sneering  Richmond  Journal 
saying  that  if  you  gave  Harrison  $500  and  a  barrel  of  cider,  he  would  sit  con- 
tented in  a  log  cabin  for  his  life.  His  friends  took  it  up  and  he  was  elected. 
If  that  is  the  case,  I  must  have  been  twelve  years  old,  but  it  is  so  strongly 
impressed  upon  my  mind  that  I  don't  know  how  to  account  for  it.  I  don't 
know  how  I  could  have  made  a  mistake.  It  reminds  me  of  Mark  Twain's  cele- 
brated interview  with  a  reporter,  who  tried  to  reconcile  his  appearance  with  his 
age,  and  I  conclude  there  must  have  been  some  mistake  in  dating  my  birth.  I 
have  probably  been  cheated  out  of  three  or  four  years  of  my  life. 

I  remember  very  distinctly  the  Fremont  campaign  and  the  very  bitter  spirit 
that  then  existed  between  the  two  parties.  (Some  amusing  instances  of  this 
were  related  by  the  speaker.) 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  the  town  was  dated  January  13,  1875, 
called  Baxter's  Monthly  (a  copy  of  which  was  exhibited),  since  becoming  the 
very  respectable  village  paper,  now  published  weekly,  as  the  Ridgefield  Press. 

(Other  amusing  reminiscences  were  given  which  have  long  since  been  for- 
gotten and  need  not  be  repeated  here.) 

BY  Ex.  Gov.  PHINEAS  C.  LOUNSBURY 

Mr.  Chairman,  Friends,  Neighbors  and  Fellow  Townsmen:  I  am  sure  we 
are  all  thankful  that  we  are  living  today  instead  of  two  hundred  years  ago,  and 
that  we  are  the  commemorators  —  not  the  commemorated;  thankful  that  we 


6o  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

are  living  to  join  in  this,  Ridgefield's  Bi-Centennial  celebration,  and  to  do  honor 
to  those  sturdy,  rugged,  stalwart  men  and  women  who  settled  here  two  cen- 
turies ago  and  transmitted  through  their  descendants  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration those  sterling  qualities  that  have  done  so  much  to  advance  the  civiliza- 
tion of  the  age  —  the  Christian  civilization  —  that  we  enjoy,  and  made  of  this 
town  so  beautiful  for  situation  an  Eden  among  the  gardens  of  the  world. 

The  forces  of  Nature  that  ages  ago  on  this  continent  laid  out  for  all  com- 
ing time  the  avenues  of  business  and  travel  may  have  forbidden  that  we  should 
ever  become  one  of  the  great  centers  of  population  and  wealth,  but  these  are 
not  the  first  things  to  be  considered  in  a  free  Republic  —  in  a  land  like  ours. 
Intelligence,  patriotism,  devotion,  unselfishness ;  that  culture  of  the  heart  and 
the  soul  and  the  life  that  comes  of  purity  and  freedom;  blood  that  tells,  blood 
that  comes  only  through  long  unbroken  generations  of  noble  men  and  noble 
women;  these  are  the  things  that  cannot  be  reckoned  in  a  census,  but  they  do, 
count  largely  in  history. 

In  a  land  so  widespread  as  ours  the  control  of  government  must  always 
remain  largely  with  the  rural  towns.  Many  of  the  children  born  and  reared 
in  Ridgefield  have  removed  from  time  to  time  to  other  places,  but  have  carried 
with  them  there  the  home  discipline  which  they  received;  the  same  love  for 
those  homely  virtues  that  marked  them  here.  New  England  men  and  their 
descendants,  New  England  ideas,  have,  must  and  will  dominate  this  land. 

I  am  one  of  the  few  New  Englanders  who  cannot  trace  their  lineage  to 
Plymouth  Rock,  but  I  yield  to  no  one  in  my  admiration  of  the  grand  character 
of  the  men  who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  I  know  that  in  many  quarters 
it  is  becoming  fashionable  to  belittle  the  Pilgrims,  to  sneer  at  the  Puritans,  to 
parade  their  trifling  faults,  to  ignore  their  solid  virtues;  but  where  can  you 
find  a  race  of  men  who  have  had  a  clearer  conception  of  the  dignity  of  human 
freedom,  or  who  have  stamped  the  love  of  it  more  strongly  upon  their  descend- 
ants ?  Sneer  at  the  Pilgrims !  Sneer  at  the  Puritans !  Yes,  we  may  when 
we  can  forget  that  it  was  their  strong  arms  that  wrought  out  for  England 
and  for  us  the  blessings  of  Constitutional  Liberty.  These  are  the  men,  these 
are  the  women,  that  were  the  founders  and  builders  of  Ridgefield,  and  their 
sons  and  daughters  have  gone  out  through  the  land,  and  wherever  they  have 
gone,  by  their  love  of  justice,  liberty  and  humanity,  they  have  laid  deeper, 
broader  and  stronger  the  foundation  of  this  Republic.  By  their  thrift,  by  their 
integrity,  by  their  industry,  they  have  hewn  their  pathway  through  the  forests, 
crossed  the  plains  and  over  the  mountains  to  the  shore  of  the  Pacific;  on  to 
the  islands  of  the  sea ;  on  to  the  Orient ;  and  wherever  they  have  gone  they  have 
made  the  wilderness  and  the  deserts  to  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 

In  speaking  the  praises  of  the  Puritan  Fathers  I  can  stop  far  short  of  the 
limit  of  modesty,  for  you  know  better  than  I  can  tell  you  that  you  have  no 
reason  to  apologize  for  their  achievements  —  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  that  you 
are  the  descendants  of  so  noble  an  ancestry.  When  you  consider  the  part  they 
took  in  the  formation  of  this  Republic,  their  sufferings  in  the  cause  of  freedom, 
their  devotion  and  self  sacrifice,  not  alone  in  the  formation  but  as  well  in  the 


"THE   HICKORIES" 

Ancestral  estate  of  Honorable  George  Edward  Lounsbury  at  Ridgefield, 

Governor  of  Connecticut  1899-1901.     Here  he  died  in  1904, 

beloved  by  the  people  of  the  commonwealth 


"CASAGMO" 

Estate  of  George  M.  Olcott,  known  as  the  Stebbins  Place  during  American 

Revolution  and  occupied  by  historic  house  where  Benedict  Arnold 

sent  hisj  wounded  soldiers  [after  Battle  of^  Ridgefield 


CS 

it 

5  s 

V 

W  e 
>  'JS 
O  & 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  61 

preservation  of  this  Union,  a  government  which  has  proved  to  be  the  best  ever 
formed  by  the  hand  of  man,  giving  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  to 
all  within  its  borders,  and  an  asylum  for  the  oppressed  and  downtrodden  the 
wide  world  over.  They  may  not  have  possessed  the  courtly  manners  of  the 
Cavaliers  of  Virginia,  or  the  sweet,  gentle,  submissive  spirit  of  the  Friends  of 
Pennsylvania;  they  may  not  have  been  loyal  to  the  King,  but  in  their  apprecia- 
tion of  individual  destiny  they  created  a  State  in  which  they  and  every  other 
citizen  could  be  at  once  a  subject  and  a  king.  They  were  loyal  to  Liberty  itself, 
and  to  no  one  in  a  greater  degree  than  to  them  is  this  country  indebted  for  the 
teaching  of  those  great  principles  of  right  which  have  been  alike  the  source 
of  her  glory  and  the  means  of  her  progress.  Again  I  say  when  you  consider 
these  and  their  other  achievements,  you  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed,  but 
rather  to  be  proud,  of  your  noble  lineage.  So  honor  them  that  your  days  and 
those  of  your  sons  and  daughters  may  be  long  in  this  God  given  land  which 
they  have  bequeathed  you. 

Love  for  one's  country,  love  for  one's  home  is  inherent  in  the  human  breast, 
but  love  for  the  scenes  of  one's  childhood,  for  the  place  of  one's  nativity,  is  not 
only  inborn  but  it  grows  with  advancing  years  until  it  takes  possession  of  the 
whole  being  and  there  comes  into  the  soul  an  almost  uncontrollable  desire  to  re- 
turn to  the  place  of  life's  sweetest  memories,  life's  most  hallowed  recollections  — 
the  childhood  home,  the  long  ago  home. 

I  read  not  long  since  in  some  paper  or  periodical  an  incident  that  seemed 
to  illustrate  this  truth:  A  Missioner  or  Evangelist  —  it  matters  little  which  — 
who  was  holding  a  revival  service  in  one  of  our  large  Western  towns,  after  a 
most  fervent  exhortation,  after  a  most  earnest  appeal,  asked  all  those  in  the 
congregation  that  wanted  to  go  to  Heaven  to  manifest  it  by  rising.  All  not 
rising  he  asked  all  those  who  wanted  to  go  to  Hades  to  signify  it  in  the  same 
manner.  All  not  rising  he  then  said :  "  Where  in  the  universe  would  you  like 
to  go  ?"  A  man  arose  in  the  congregation  and  said :  "  As  for  me,  from  what 
I  have  read  and  heard  about  Heaven  I  feel  as  though  I  would  be  a  stranger  in 
a  strange  land,  and  from  your  description  of  what  you  call  Hades  I  certainly 
do  not  want  to  go  there,  but  there  is  a  place  on  earth  where  Mother  lived,  where 
I  was  born,  in  old  Ridgefield,  Connecticut,  and  Mr.  Minister,  if  I  can  have  my 
choice  I'll  go  there." 

Doubtless  all  over  this  land  today  hundreds  and  thousands  of  people  are 
turning  their  thoughts  toward  Ridgefield  with  a  longing  desire  to  be  with  us 
and  join  in  this  celebration;  to  join  with  us  in  our  thanksgiving  to  Almighty 
God,  not  only  for  this  beautiful  world  in  which  we  live,  not  only  for  this,  the 
most  favored  of  all  lands,  not  only  for  this  State  with  its  schools  and  colleges, 
the  land  of  steady  habits  and  the  traditional  nutmegs,  but  for  this  beautiful  town, 
equalled  by  few  —  excelled  by  none. 

I  must  hasten,  for  my  time  is  limited.  I  know  that  I  have  digressed  some- 
what from  that  theme  that  was  given  me  by  our  honored  Chairman,  i.  e. : — a 
few  words  about  my  boyhood  town,  about  my  boyhood  recollections;  a  few 
words  about  my  experiences. 


62  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

I  was  born,  as  some  of  you  may  know,  in  one  of  the  rural  districts  of  this 
town,  but  of  the  time  and  place  I  have  no  personal  recollection,  but  I  do  remem- 
ber, as  the  days  went  by,  the  love  and  tender  care  and  the  careful  training  of 
one  of  the  best  of  New  England  mothers,  and  I  do  remember  the  judicious  tan- 
nings that  I  received,  when  I  needed  them,  from  one  of  the  best  of  Puritan 
Fathers.  Thus  I  was  brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

I  went  to  church  with  my  mother  at  an  early  date,  as  was  the  custom  then, 
but  about  which  I  remember  little.  Later  on,  as  the  years  went  by  I  do  re- 
member, with  my  brother  George, — (God  bless  him!)  One  of  the  best  brothers 
that  ever  lived ;  one  of  God's  noblemen,  as  many  of  you  here  know.  We  trudged 
over  the  three  miles  from  the  old  homestead  to  the  preaching  service  at  half 
past  ten  in  the  Methodist  church  on  yonder  corner,  Sunday  school  at  noon, 
preaching  service  again  at  1.30  in  the  afternoon,  after  which  we  walked  back 
and  spent  the  balance  of  the  day  with  father  in  reading,  meditation  and  prayer. 
"  Bring  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 
depart  from  it,"  was  early  impressed  upon  me  by  my  father.  I  know  this  is 
not  the  teaching  of  the  so-called  Liberalists  of  the  present  day,  but  it  is  God's 
teaching  and  God's  truth  will  never  fail,  and  if  there  is  any  one  thing  that  I 
have  reason  to  be  thankful  for  more  than  another  it  is  that  I  received  this  old 
style  New  England  training.  Whatever  success  has  come  to  me  in  life,  what- 
ever I  have  achieved  or  accomplished,  I  owe  largely  to  the  teachings  of  the 
home,  the  church  and  the  schools  of  that  day. 

At  four  years  of  age  I  was  sent  to  the  district  school  and  sat  for  several 
years  at  the  feet  of  the  Gamaliels  of  the  town,  two  of  whom  are  here  today,  one 
our  honored,  distinguished  fellow  townsman,  Col.  Hiram  K.  Scott,  who  has 
just  addressed  us,  more  mellow  today  than  he  was  then,  as  many  a  boy  could 
testify  were  he  present  upon  this  occasion.  He  doubtless  believed  in  the 
proverb  of  the  Wise  Man  of  the  East  that  to  spare  the  rod  was  to  spoil  the 
child,  and  few  there  were  under  his  tuition  or  instruction  that  did  not  early 
learn  to  dance  the  two-step  to  the  tune  of  the  tingling  birch.  Later  on  I  went 
to  school  at  the  brick  schoolhouse  in  the  Florida  district  and  had  for  my  in- 
structor there  our  honored,  esteemed  friend  and  neighbor,  Benjamin  K.  North- 
rop. Whether  I  had  profited  by  my  early  experience  or  whether  I  had  become 
more  discreet  in  later  years  I  do  not  pretend  to  say,  but  I  did  escape  his  correct- 
ing rod  and  was  only  sent  over  now  and  then  across  the  schoolhouse  to  sit  with 
the  girls,  which  he  thought  was  a  punishment,  but  which  you  can  readily  be- 
lieve was  a  pleasure  and  a  delight.  At  twelve  years  of  age  I  began  a  four 
years'  course  of  study  at  a  private  school  then  kept  by  the  Rev.  David  H.  Short, 
an  Episcopal  clergyman,  Dean  of  Trinity  College,  a  most  competent  instructor 
and  a  strict  disciplinarian.  Few  graduated  from  that  school  without  being  pre- 
pared to  enter  any  college  in  the  land,  or  fitted,  as  far  as  schools  can  prepare 
the  scholar,  for  life's  work.  It  was  a  blessing  to  the  boys  and  girls  of  Ridge- 
field  and  the  surrounding  towns  in  more  ways  than  one.  A  strict  disciplinarian 
he  was,  but  I  doubt  whether  he  was  aware  of  all  the  little  attentions  going  on 
outside,  which  I  will  not  mention  today  as  I  see  many  of  the  young  ladies  here 


r 


Portraiture  of  the  second  Lounsbury  of  Ridgefield  to  become  Governor 
of  Connecticut — From  late  photograph  taken  by  Randall  of  Hartford  — 
Painting  by  Charles  Noel  Flagg,  from  this  photograph,  has  since  been 
placed  in  the  collection  of  paintings  in  the  State  Library  at  Hartford 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennlal  Exercises  63 

who  attended  school  with  me  there.  Finishing  my  course  and  graduating  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  I  left  for  the  first  time  my  parental  roof  and  the  only  girl  that 
I  thought  worth  knowing  and  went  to  New  York  to  make  my  fortune,  which  I 
had  fixed  at  $10,000,  then  I  was  to  come  back  and  take  this  girl  as  my  wife  and 
settle  down  in  Ridgefield  to  a  life  of  usefulness  and  ease.  But  the  boy's  dream 
of  sixteen  years,  like  the  dream  of  the  night,  is  soon  over,  seldom  realized  and 
generally  forgotten.  I  was  not  permitted  to  return  home,  because  of  my  busi- 
ness engagements  and  business  matters,  more  than  once  or  twice  in  a  year.  Year 
after  year  I  came  back  to  the  old  homestead  during  the  time  of  my  vacations 
only  to  return  to  the  solution  of  greater  business  problems  and  ever  increasing 
responsibilities.  During  all  this  time  I  was  cheered  and  inspired  by  the  letters 
from  home  that  came  as  regularly  as  the  week  came  round;  letters  that  told 
me  the  boy  was  not  forgotten;  letters  of  love  and  inspiration;  letters  of  solici- 
tude and  encouragement;  letters  that  as  I  read  them  gripped  the  throat  many 
and  many  a  time. 

I  will  not  further  detain  you  in  words  of  my  own  of  the  loving  gratitude 
and  tender  affection  that  ever  filled  my  heart  for  those  that  gave  me  life  and 
taught  me  its  mission,  as  I  have  in  my  possession  some  verses  written  about  a 
boy  from  another  New  England  town,  a  business  associate  of  mine  for  the  past 
twenty-five  years,  that  are  more  expressive  than  any  words  at  my  command. 

WITH  LOVE  — FROM  MOTHER 

There's  a  letter  on  the  bottom  of  the  pile, 

Its  envelope  a  faded,  sallow  brown; 
It  has  traveled  to  the  city  many  a  mile, 

And  the  postmark  names  a  'way  up  country  town. 
But  the  hurried  man  of  business  pushes  all  the  others  by, 
And  on  the  scrawly  characters  he  turns  a  glistening  eye; 
He  forgets  the  cares  of  commerce  and  his  well  laid  plans  for  gain, 
The  while  he  reads  what  Mother  writes  from  up  in  Maine. 

There  are  quirks  and  scratchy  quavers  of  the  pen, 

Where  it  struggled  in  the  fingers  old  and  bent; 
There  are  places  where  he  has  to  read  again, 

And  think  a  bit  to  find  what  Mother  meant. 

There  are  letters  on  his  table  that  enclose  some  bouncing  checks; 
There  are  letters  giving  promise  of  profits  on  his  "  specs  " ; 
But  he  tosses  all  the  litter  by,  forgets  the  golden  rain, 
Until  he  reads  what  Mother  writes  from  up  in  Maine. 

At  last  he  finds  "  With  love  —  we  all  are  well," 

And  softly  lays  the  homely  letter  down; 
Then  dashes  at  his  business  tasks  pell  mell, 

Once  more  the  busy  business  man  of  town. 
But  whenever  in  his  duties,  as  the  rushing  moments  fly, 
That  faded  little  envelope  smiles  up  to  meet  his  eye, 
He  turns  again  to  labor  with  a  stronger,  truer  brain, 
From  thinking  of  what  Mother  wrote  from  up  in  Maine. 


64  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

And  then  at  dusk  when  all  are  gone, 

He  drops  his  worldly  mask, 
And  takes  his  pen  and  lovingly  performs 

A  welcome  task; 
For  never  shall  the  clicking  type 

Or  shorthand  scrawl  profane 
The  message  to  the  dear  old  home, 

Up  there  in  Maine. 

The  penmanship  is  rounded,  schoolboy  style, 

For  Mother's  eyes  are  getting  dim,  she  wrote; 
And  as  he  sits  and  writes  there,  all  the  while 

A  bit  of  homesick  feeling  grips  his  throat. 

For  all  the  business  friendships  here  with  John  and  Joe  and  Jim, 
And  all  the  ties  of  later  years  grow  very,  very  dim, 
While  boyhood's  loves  in  manhood's  heart  rise  deep  and  pure  and  plain, 
Called  forth  by  Mother's  homely  words  from  Maine. 


BY  Ex-LiEUT.-Gov.  E.  O.  KEELER 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  To  follow  the  eloquent  address 
that  has  been  made  by  Governor  Lounsbury  places  me  in  a  very  hard  position. 
I  remember  well  the  day  that  he  left  Ridgefield  to  go  to  New  York.  I  was  at- 
tending the  same  school  at  that  time  that  he  was.  I  was  so  elated  to  think  that 
I  had  got  a  place  in  a  store  that  I  could  hardly  wait  for  the  day  to  come  to  go 
away.  Then  I  remember  very  well  crying  two  nights  all  night,  for  I  was  so 
awfully  homesick  to  go  back  again.  I  came  here  today  on  a  steam  railroad.  I 
very  well  remember  when  a  boy  of  almost  everyone  saying  that  Ridgefield  was 
one  of  the  places  in  the  country  where  they  never  could  build  a  railroad  to  it,  as 
it  was  all  up  hill.  I  wish  that  the  people  who  lived  in  those  days  could  be  here 
today,  and  not  only  see  the  steam  railroad,  but  the  horseless  carriages  rushing 
through  the  streets,  and  the  flying  machines  going  through  the  air.  They  would 
soon  come  to  the  conclusion  that  nothing  was  impossible  in  this  world,  and  that 
great  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  last  fifty  years,  even  in  the  good  old  staid 
and  conservative  town  of  Ridgefield.  I  must  be  very  careful  what  I  say,  as  I 
see  by  referring  to  your  program  I  am  to  be  followed  by  three  judges.  Now, 
any  person  that  has  one  judge  after  them  is  badly  enough  off,  but  to  have  three 
judges  coming  after  you  would  seem  to  be  almost  the  limit.  Therefore  you 
can  see  what  an  embarrassing  position  I  am  placed  in. 

I  do  want  to  say  that  all  honor  should  be  given  to  the  founders  of  the  good 
old  town  of  Ridgefield,  for  they  most  certainly  laid  the  foundation  deep  and 
strong,  and  we  behold  today  the  grand  and  beautiful  town  of  Ridgefield  that 
has  been  built  on  this  foundation.  While  this  town  may  not  be  as  large  as  some 
other  towns  in  the  state,  I  am  sure  that  what  it  lacks  in  quantity  it  most  certainly 
has  made  up  in  quality.  Like  the  man  out  West  who  owned  a  railroad  just  two 
miles  long,  who  told  the  president  of  an  eastern  road  which  was  over  6,000 
miles  in  length :  "  Well,  your  road  may  be  a  little  longer  than  mine,  but  I 


LIEUT.-GOVERNOR   E.    O.    KEELER 


JUDGE  HOWARD  B.  SCOTT 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  65 

want  you  to  understand  that  mine  is  just  as  wide  as  yours."  Where  will  you 
find  another  town  in  this  state,  or  any  other  for  that  matter,  that  has  furnished 
two  governors  out  of  one  family  and  two  judges  out  of  another,  and  I  don't 
know  how  many  lieutenant-governors?  I  have  not  looked  that  up.  Right  here 
I  desire  to  pay  my  respects  and  honor  to  the  memory  of  one  of  the  governors 
of  the  state,  Hon.  George  E.  Lounsbury.  I  was  very  intimately  associated 
with  him  during  his  political  life,  and  I  had  not  a  truer  or  better  friend  in 
the  whole  State  of  Connecticut  than  he  was,  and  in  his  death  I  know  Ridge- 
field  suffered  a  great  loss.  A  woman  was  met  a  few  days  ago  by  a  book 
agent,  who  wanted  to  sell  her  a  book  that  would  tell  her  how  to  take  care 
of  a  good  husband.  She  informed  him  that  she  didn't  need  any  such  book 
at  all,  but  if  he  had  a  book  to  tell  her  how  she  could  get  a  good  husband,  she 
would  buy  one.  Now  it  seems  to  me  that  Ridgefield  has  not  only  had  a  book 
that  told  them  how  to  get  a  good  town,  but  they  most  certainly  had  a  book 
that  has  told  them  how  to  take  care  of  it,  for  there  is  no  more  beautiful  place 
than  this  town  of  Ridgefield. 

In  closing,  I  would  say  that  if  I  was  going  to  propose  a  toast  today  it  would 
be  this :  "  Here's  to  the  good  old  town  of  Ridgefield,  as  it  has  been  for  two 
hundred  years, —  and  it  certainly  has  had  God's  blessing  with  it  in  the  past-; 
here's  to  the  town  of  Ridgefield  as  it  is  today, —  and  I  am  sure  that  God's  bless- 
ing is  with  it  now;  here's  to  the  town  of  Ridgefield  that  will  be  in  the  future, 
and  may  it  have  God's  blessing  with  it  as  long  as  time  shall  last.  May  you  all 
live  as  long  as  you  want  to,  and  have  health,  wealth  and  happiness." 

BY  JUDGE  H.  B.  SCOTT 

Mr.  Chairman,  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  As  I  seem  to  be  about  the 
only  one  situated  to  drink  the  toast  of  the  preceding  speaker,  I  will  drink  it  for  you 
all.  I  don't  like  to  have  much  to  do  with  men  that  are  afraid  of  changes.  As 
a  general  thing  you  will  find  that  the  men  who  are  afraid  of  changes,  are  the 
men  that  you  had  better  be  afraid  of.  However,  I  drink  to  the  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor. In  the  good  old  times  when  all  of  the  children  used  to  come  back  to  the 
family  homestead  upon  anniversary  occasions,  there  was  a  place  also  for  all  the 
grandchildren.  I  am  not  making  any  claim  of  having  been  born  in  the  town 
of  Ridgefield,  but  as  my  father  had  his  birth-place  here  and  my  ancestors  for 
many  generations,  I  may  at  least  claim  Ridgefield  as  my  grandmother.  And  as 
almost  all  of  my  boyhood  days  were  spent  here,  I  may  claim  her  as  my  nurse; 
and  as  all  the  education  which  I  received  in  schools,  except  at  college,  was  re- 
ceived here,  I  claim  Ridgefield  as  my  teacher.  So  I  come  back  to  it  upon  this 
anniversary  occasion  to  pay  my  respects  to  the  good  old  town  of  Ridgefield 
in  the  three-fold  capacity  of  my  grandmother,  my  nurse  and  my  teacher,  three 
of  the  dearest  relationships  that  exist  in  life. 

Speaking  of  ancestors,  I  think  that  the  chairman  of  this  committee  had 
better  stop  talking  about  my  ancestors.  I  was  quite  shocked  when  I  heard  him 
read  so  glibly  from  what  he  claimed  to  be  a  record,  on  account  of  some  Scott 


66  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

having  been  a  slaveholder.  Now  I  am  out  of  politics  at  the  present  time;  so 
of  course  it  doesn't  harm  me  as  it  might  otherwise,  but  out  of  respect  for  my 
ancestors  I  deny  the  allegation.  We  don't  know  what  to  do  always  when  an 
allegation  is  made  all  of  a  sudden  and  we  haven't  had  time  to  look  it  up.  The 
chairman  is  a  pretty  accurate  sort  of  a  man  generally  and  I  hate  to  dispute  him, 
but  having  no  other  way  of  meeting  it  at  the  present  time,  I  have  concluded  to 
deny  the  allegation  and  to  appoint  a  time  for  a  hearing,  which  if  the  lieutenant- 
governor  will  allow  me  I  will  set  at  the  next  centennial,  when  proof  may  be  pro- 
duced of  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  charge.  At  present  I  deny  it.  The  hand- 
writing isn't  first-rate  anyway  in  some  of  these  old  books,  and  Scott  and  Sey- 
mour begin  with  the  same  letter;  so  I  am  not  at  all  sure  it  would  not  be  found 
that  man  was  Seymour  instead  of  Scott,  and  he  is  trying  to  put  it  off  on  us. 

It  is  more  than  forty  years  ago  since  I  ceased  to  live  in  Ridgefield  and 
went  over  the  northern  borders  to  find  a  new  home.  It  makes  me  feel  pretty 
old  when  I  think  of  the  forty  years  that  have  passed  since  then.  That  is  not 
the  only  thing  connected  with  Ridgefield  that  makes  me  feel  old  either,  because 
I  have  always  taken  the  Ridgefield  Press,  with  a  desire  to  find  out  what  is  hap- 
pening to  those  I  once  knew ;  and  as  I  read  my  paper  from  week  to  week  I  every 
once  in  a  while  find  an  item  which  refers  to  somebody  as  our  venerable  fellow 
citizen,  but  of  whom  I  think  as  some  one  that  I  knew  in  the  very  bloom  of  youth 
and  the  strength  of  manhood.  I  suppose,  however,  that  we  must  all  expect  to 
grow  old,  the  only  notable  exceptions  that  I  know  being  those  who  are  at  the 
head  of  this  program,  and  the  gentleman  who  is  advertised  to  close  the  exercises. 
They  seem  to  be  ever  young.  As  my  mind  goes  back  through  the  decades  since 
I  left  here,  I  remember  very  well  the  day  when  I  said  farewell  to  my  boyhood 
friends,  and  started  for  the  town  of  Danbury.  I  remember  well  that  I  formed 
certain  firm  and  strong  resolutions,  very  much  of  the  same  character  that 
Governor  Lounsbury  did,  although  he  has  been  able  to  carry  them  out  in  some 
respects  better  than  I.  They  were  very  firm  and  strong,  but  fortunately  for 
me  they  were  not  advertised, —  I  kept  them  to  myself.  Still  they  were  strong, 
and  as  I  went  over  the  hills,  I  remember  thinking  to  myself  that  I  would  ac- 
cumulate a  large  fortune, —  a  process  by  the  way  which  seems  very  much  easier 
and  more  expeditious  to  the  youth  than  it  afterwards  turns  out  to  be  in  the  ac- 
complishment;  that  I  would  come  back  to  Ridgefield  and  marry  a  Ridgefield 
girl  —  and  I  had  the  very  girl  picked  out  in  my  mind  at  the  time,  although  she 
did  not  know  anything  about  it,  fortunately;  and  that  I  would  come  back  here 
and  buy  one  of  the  finest  residences  to  be  found  in  Ridgefield,  and  make  this 
my  home.  But  alas !  for  the  dreams  of  youth,  notwithstanding  the  many  flatter- 
ing examples  which  are  set  out  so  enticingly  in  juvenile  literature,  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  have  been  unable  to  make  good  in  any  of  the  respects  that  I  have 
mentioned.  The  fortune  still  eludes  me;  the  girl  escaped,  and  she  never  even 
knew  the  danger  that  she  escaped;  and  as  for  coming  back  to  live  in  the  town 
of  Ridgefield,  a  short  time  after  my  departure,  though  not,  I  trust,  entirely  on 
account  of  my  departure,  the  price  of  real  estate  began  to  soar  so  high  in  the 
town  of  Ridgefield  that  it  has  always  since  then  been  quite  beyond  my  reach, — 
so  I  have  given  up  all  of  those  dreams  of  my  youth. 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  67 

When  your  enterprising  chairman  here  corralled  the  gentlemen  who  sit 
around  me  upon  the  stage,  he  told  us  that  we  were  expected  to  make  a  speech 
of  only  ten  minutes;  that  the  people  of  Ridgefield  wanted  to  see  our  faces  and 
hear  our  voices  once  more,  and  here  we  are.  I  am  willing  to  concede  to  these 
gentlemen  who  are  sitting  around  me  all  the  beauty  which  they  or  their  wives 
may  claim.  For  myself  alone,  so  far  as  looking  at  us  is  concerned,  I  should 
consider  any  one  quite  accurate  who  should  go  away  and  say  that  he  thought  he 
had  seen  better. 

So  far  as  reminiscences  of  boyhood  are  concerned,  I  don't  think  I  could  give 
you  any  which  would  be  of  interest  to  you.  There  are  some  things  that  I  re- 
member in  connection  with  the  boys  and  girls  who  were  my  friends  at  that  time, 
which  I  remember  with  interest,  but  they  would  not  be  of  interest  to  you.  My 
years  in  Ridgefield  were  all  school  boy  days,  and  my  recollections  cluster  almost 
entirely  about  the  school  at  High  Ridge,  which  was  then  the  leading  institution 
of  this  town.  Although  the  chairman  has  seen  fit  to  cast  an  aspersion  upon  my 
family,  upon  by  ancestors,  nevertheless  I  cannot  forbear  saying  that  I  have  had 
considerable  experience  since  that  time  in  educational  matters,  and  I  am  fully 
satisfied  that  there  were  very  few  schools  at  that  time,  and  that  there  are  very  few 
schools  at  the  present  time,  which  afforded  better  education  to  the  youth  than 
the  school  at  High  Ridge  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Seymour  and  Dr.  Todd, 
who  was  one  of  our  most  esteemed  teachers.  And  in  any  commemoration  of 
the  achievements  at  Ridgefield  during  the  last  two  hundred  years,  I  think  high 
prominence  should  be  given  to  that  school  at  High  Ridge,  from  which  so  many 
boys  have  gone  out  to  success.  As  far  as  my  own  experience  goes,  I  owe  it  a 
very  great  debt  of  gratitude,  because  although  I  left  school  before  I  was  four- 
teen years  old,  and  then  spent  several  years  in  forgetting  as  far  as  I  could  what 
I  had  learned  while  I  was  trying  to  sell  dry  goods,  when  I  at  last  made  up  my 
mind  to  enter  college,  so  thorough  was  the  instruction  given  me  here,  that  with 
the  aid  of  another  teacher  after  a  few  months  I  was  able  to  enter  college  with 
only  one  condition, —  which  speaks  well  for  the  thoroughness  of  the  teaching  of 
that  school. 

I  congratulate  the  citizens  of  Ridgefield  today  upon  the  termination  of  the 
second  centennial  in  the  life  of  this  town,  and  also  upon  the  spirit  of  patriotism 
which  induced  you  not  to  allow  so  important  an  occasion  in  the  history  of  the 
town  to  pass  unnoticed.  During  these  present  years  there  are  many  bi-centen- 
nials  of  our  New  England  towns  being  held,  and  I  think  it  is  very  commendable 
and  proper  that  notice  should  be  taken  of  these  years,  which  are  stepping-stones 
in  the  lives  of  the  communities  which  are  represented.  It  is  proper  that  flags 
should  be  unfurled,  that  bands  should  play  and  processions  march,  and  all  the 
other  indications  of  gala  days  should  be  shown  upon  a  day  like  this;  but  after 
all  the  real  importance  of  this  day  does  not  lie  in  any  of  these  things.  They  are 
soon  to  pass  away,  but  the  importance  of  the  day  really  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is 
a  very  excellent  time  for  us  to  stop  and  think.  For  the  most  part  we  drift  along 
through  life  doing  with  more  or  less  efficiency  what  our  hands  find  to  do  for 
the  time,  but  thinking  little  of  the  past  over  which  we  have  come,  or  the  future 


68  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centenmal     1908 

towards  which  we  shall  go.  When  some  day  like  this  comes,  which  by  its  im- 
portance leads  us  to  throw  our  memories  back  upon  the  past,  the  most  important 
celebration  which  we  can  have  is  the  exercise  of  that  power  of  reminiscence; 
and  the  few  serious  words  that  I  say  to  you  today  are  an  admonition  that  after 
the  noise  and  excitement  of  the  day  have  passed  away,  that  each  of  us  spend  a 
few  hours  in  considering  what  it  was  in  the  characters  of  our  ancestors  which 
enabled  them  to  perform  the  miracle  of  building  the  towns  and  cities  which  are 
now  scattered  all  over  this  state.  The  achievements  of  our  ancestors  are  told 
in  history  and  song  and  story,  and  I  need  not,  if  I  would,  repeat  them  to  you 
now,  neither  do  I  need  to  catalogue  or  enlarge  upon  the  qualities  of  our 
ancestors  which  enabled  them  to  accomplish  this  great  task.  Times  have 
changed  as  the  centuries  have  rolled  on,  and  there  may  be  some  characteristics 
of  our  ancestors  that  it  would  not  be  well  for  us  to  follow.  Shall  I  say  their 
bigotry  in  relation  to  the  conscientious  opinions  of  those  who  opposed  them, 
while  it  may  have  had  its  justification  in  the  times  in  which  they  lived,  it  may  be 
that,  having  left  their  homes  and  all  the  culture  and  pleasures  of  life,  and 
settling  in  a  wilderness,  having  done  this  for  the  very  purpose  of  finding  a  place 
where  those  who  believed  alike  could  live  together, —  it  may  be  they  had  the 
justification  of  saying  to  those  who  came  there  that  did  not  think  as  they  did: 
"  If  you  do  not  think  as  we  do,  go  off  and  make  a  settlement."  I  don't  say 
they  were  justified.  If  they  were,  that  is  not  the  spirit  of  the  present  day.  But 
there  were  certain  traits  in  them  which  are  known  to  you  all,  which  enabled 
them  to  make  this  country  what  it  is  today,  and  without  the  development  of 
those  traits  this  country  cannot  progress,  in  my  judgment,  satisfactorily;  we 
cannot  leave  to  the  generations  that  follow  us  that  which  we  have  received  from 
those  who  preceded  us.  A  conscientious  action,  a  belief  in  something,  a  will- 
ingness to  sacrifice  something  for  principle, —  those  were  traits  which  in  those 
days  were  predominant,  and  which  in  these  days  I  fear  are  becoming  less  and 
less  prominent. 

If  all  of  the  citizens  and  all  in  all  of  the  country  towns  as  these  bi-centen- 
nials  come  along,  looking  back  at  the  traits  in  their  ancestors  and  selecting  that 
which  was  good  from  them,  could  in  the  future  imitate  what  they  had  done;  if 
candidates  proposed  for  office  were  examined  to  see  whether  they  were  proper 
persons  to  fill  offices  of  trust;  if  measures  were  proposed  which  seem  to  them 
wrong  and  oppressive  would  not  wait  to  see  how  their  people  felt  about  it,  but 
would  immediately  themselves  take  a  stand  against  it ;  if  we  believe  and  act  upon 
something  besides  that  which  seems  to  be  for  our  own  ease  and  interest,  then  I 
think  that  the  safety  of  the  state  will  be  continued.  But  if  we  do  not  follow  in  the 
thoughts  and  ways  of  our  ancestors  in  that  respect,  then  I  think  there  is  danger 
ahead  for  this  country.  Let  us  not  only  sing  the  songs  our  fathers  sang,  but  let 
us  do  the  deeds  our  fathers  did  in  the  days  of  "  Auld  Lang  Syne." 


JUDGE   JAMES  F.    WALSH 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  69 

JUDGE  JAMES  F.  WALSH,  OF  GREENWICH 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

Your  president  has  well  said  that  I  am  a  former  Ridgefield  boy,  but  I  feel  a 
good  deal  like  the  Irishman  who  was  delivering  an  oration  on  St.  Patrick's  Day, 
when  in  a  burst  of  enthusiasm  he  said  to  the  boys :  "  Boys,  it  is  your  duty  to  stand 
up  for  your  native  country  even  if  you  wasn't  born  there."  It  is  about  the  way  I 
feel,  because  I  wasn't  born  in  Ridgefield,  but  I  came  here  at  a  very  early  day, 
being,  I  believe,  four  weeks  old,  so  that  my  entire  boyhood  days  were  spent  in 
Ridgefield,  and  for  years  after  leaving  here,  and  up  to  this  very  day,  I  always 
speak  of  going  to  Ridgefield  as  going  home.  The  fact  that  Ridgefield  was  my 
home  has  never  gotten  out  of  my  mind.  I  hate  to  say  it  after  so  many  have 
said  it, —  after  Governor  Lounsbury  and  Judge  Scott  have  said  that  it  was 
their  ambition  to  accumulate  money  and  return  to  Ridgefield  and  live  the  re- 
mainder of  their  days,  but  such  was  my  ambition.  I  certainly  had  looked  for- 
ward to  that  time  when  I  might,  just  as  Governor  Lounsbury  said,  accumulate 
enough  to  return  to  Ridgefield  and  live.  But  times  have  changed,  and  what  was 
sufficient  to  live  on  years  ago,  we  do  not  think  now  is  sufficient.  As  we  grow 
older  our  needs  become  greater;  we  want  more,  we  look  for  more,  and  I  pre- 
sume we  are  entitled  to  more.  What  used  to  be  an  ordinary  competency  is  now 
considered  substantially  nothing.  What  we  used  to  consider  was  good,  fair 
wages  when  I  was  a  boy,  now  is  considered  nothing,  and  you  couldn't  hire  any- 
body to  work  for  the  same  price  that  you  could  when  I  was  a  boy.  It  reminds 
me  of  the  story  of  the  man  who  had  in  his  employ  a  young  man  who  was  about 
to  be  married.  The  young  man  went  to  his  employer  and  said :  "  Mr.  Brown, 
I  am  going  to  get  married;  consequently  I  will  need  a  larger  income.  I  can't 
possibly  think  of  getting  married  and  supporting  a  wife  and  family  on  ten 
dollars  a  week,  which  I  now  receive,  and  I  think  I  ought  to  be  raised."  Mr. 
Brown  looked  at  the  young  man  and  said :  "  I  don't  see  why  you  should  have  a 
raise  simply  because  you  are  going  to  get  married;  I  don't  know  why  you  can't 
live  on  ten  dollars  a  week.  When  I  was  a  boy  and  clerk  in  a  store,  I  worked 
for  eight  dollars  a  week,  and  I  got  married  and  raised  a  family  of  four."  "  But," 
the  boy  said,  "  that  was  before  the  day  of  the  cash  register." 

I  was  informed  by  the  letter  from  your  president  that  I  was  to  spend  ten 
minutes  in  relating  my  boyhood  reminiscences.  It  was  all  very  well  for  the  gen- 
tlemen who  preceded  me  to  relate  their  boyhood  reminiscences  —  they  are  all 
much  older  than  I  am.  They  each  and  every  one  of  them  knew  that  the  statute 
of  limitations  had  run  against  anything  which  they  had  done  when  they  were 
boys.  I  am  fearful  if  I  should  relate  some  of  mine,  that  somebody  would  say 
they  were  not  outlawed  and  I  might  get  into  trouble.  I  know  you  will  believe 
me  when  I  say  to  you  with  Governor  Lounsbury,  Lieut-Governor  Keeler,  Judge 
Scott  and  everybody  who  has  spoken  before  me,  each  and  every  one  of  them 
knew  where  the  peach  orchard  was,  where  the  watermelon  patch  was,  and  I 
don't  see  why  they  didn't  tell  you  all  about  it, —  as  long  as  they  knew  it  was  out- 
lawed they  couldn't  be  prosecuted. 


70  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

It  would  seem  to  me  that  the  early  settlers  of  Ridgefield  had  built  far  better 
than  they  knew  when  they  located  this  town,  with  its  magnificent  streets,  right 
at  the  foot  of  those  mountains,  where  you  get  that  breeze;  but  I  don't  think 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Ridgefield  built  any  better  than  they  knew, —  for  I  think 
they  built  exactly  as  they  knew  when  they  selected  this  committee  to  get  up 
this  entertainment  at  this  bi-centennial.  Mr.  Seymour,  the  chairman  of  this 
committee, —  I  can  remember  looking  up  to  him  as  I  did  to  others  like  the 
Lounsburys,  E.  H.  Smith,  Dr.  Todd  and  several  others,  and  now  as  I  look  back 
I  can  very  plainly  see  why  Ridgefield  is  known  throughout  the  country  as  it  is. 
These  men  were  all  men  of  character.  Mr.  Seymour,  quiet,  unassuming,  unpre- 
tentious, yet  known  as  he  is  from  one  end  of  this  state  to  the  other  as  an  honest, 
just,  upright  man,  who  knows  when  to  say  no,  and  who  knows  when  to  say  yes. 

I  was  very  much  impressed  when  I  heard  Col.  Scott  speaking  of  the  early 
records  of  Ridgefield.  When  I  asked  him  his  age  and  he  told  me  he  was  eighty- 
six,  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  England  had  her  Gladstone,  the  United  States 
her  Washington,  Lincoln,  Cleveland,  McKinley,  Roosevelt;  that  Connecticut 
had  her  Trumbulls,  Marshalls  and  McLeans;  that  Ridgefield  had  her  grand 
young  man,  Col.  H.  K.  Scott. 

I  presume  that  I  could  spend  more  than  my  allotted  ten  minutes  in  telling 
some  of  my  boyhood  experiences  in  Ridgefield.  They  were  pleasant  ones,  look- 
ing back  on  them  now.  I  always  thought,  as  I  said  before,  that  I  should  like  to 
return  and  spend  my  old  age  here,  but  that  I  have  long  since  given  up,  because 
new  associations,  new  ties,  make  our  lives  different  from  what  we  had  planned. 
I  was  amused  when  the  president  said  in  his  opening  address  that  one  Samuel 
Olmstead  represented  the  town  of  Ridgefield  in  the  legislature  for  twenty-nine 
years.  I  turned  to  my  friend,  Judge  Scott,  and  said :  "  I  don't  believe  any  place 
on  the  face  of  the  earth  would  stand  for  that  except  Ridgefield.  Down  my  way 
they  would  say  he  was  a  post  long  before  twenty-nine  years."  Judge  Scott  re- 
plied that  possibly  that  was  so,  but  it  was  the  proper  thing  when  a  man  repre- 
sented a  town  faithfully,  to  keep  him  there,  because  then  he  was  of  some  use 
to  the  community  he  represented.  That  fact  brought  to  my  mind  very  clearly 
an  illustration  in  this  congressional  district.  When  I  saw  upon  the  platform 
Congressman  Hill,  who  is  to  deliver  an  address  tonight,  and  when  I  realized 
what  a  big  man  he  has  become  at  Washington,  I  can  see  that  Judge  Scott  was 
right  when  he  said  it  was  proper  to  keep  a  good  man  in  a  position,  because  then 
he  was  of  some  use  to  the  community.  When  I  speak  of  Congressman  Hill, 
because  he  is  your  congressman  the  same  as  mine,  I  can  see  that  by  keeping 
him  at  Washington,  as  the  people  of  the  fourth  congressional  district  have  done 
term  after  term,  they  have  placed  a  man  there  who  is  of  use,  not  only  to  himself, 
not  only  to  the  fourth  congressional  district,  but  to  the  United  States,  because 
Congressman  Hill  has  certainly  become  one  of  the  big  men  of  Washington. 

Ridgefield  has  a  lot  to  be  proud  of.  Tell  me  where  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
there  is  any  town  the  size  of  Ridgefield  that  has  furnished  two  governors  to  the 
state?  Think  of  it!  The  small  town  of  Ridgefield  supplies  two  governors  to 
the  State  of  Connecticut,  the  highest  office  to  which  any  man  in  the  state  can 


RIDGEFIELD  AND  AMERICAN  EDUCATION 

Dr.  Cyrus  Northrop,  born  in  Ridgefield  in  1834  — 

Twenty-one  years  professor  of  English 

Literature    at    Yale  —  Twenty-two 

years  President  of  University 

of  Minnesota — From  a 

recent  photograph 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  71 

be  elected,  out  of  the  same  family.  I  never  can  forget  one  of  those  governors. 
It  was  Mr.  George  Lounsbury  whom  I  knew  much  better  than  I  did  his  brother, 
who  said  to  me  while  coming  out  of  the  train  some  eight  years  ago :  "  Walsh, 
why  don't  you  go  to  the  senate  next  year?"  I  said  to  him:  "Why,  Governor, 
I  would  love  to  go  to  the  senate."  I  had  just  previously  served  one  term  in 
the  house.  I  said :  "  I  would  like  to  go  to  the  senate.  How  can  I  get  there  ? 
It  is  promised  to  somebody  else."  He  said :  "  You  can  go  if  you  want  to ; 
Ridgefield  is  for  you,  and  so  is  Wilton."  "  Well,"  I  said,  "  I  think  Greenwich 
is;"  and  so  on  that  tip  I  went  in  and  got  the  nomination  for  the  senate,  and 
it  was  put  in  my  head  by  one  of  the  best  men  that  ever  drew  the  breath  of  life, 
and  that  was  Governor  George  E.  Lounsbury. 

My  brother  said  to  me  when  I  was  coming  up  here,  "  Please  remember  that 
Mr.  Seymour  said  you  was  allowed  ten  minutes."  I  said,  "  I  will."  He  said, 
"  If  you  do,  it  will  be  the  first  time  in  your  life."  So,  bearing  in  mind  what  my 
brother  said  to  me,  I  say  to  you  one  and  all,  I  thank  you,  and  I  hope  some  day 
to  return  to  Ridgefield  and  stay  longer  than  just  for  the  day. 

MR.  SEYMOUR,  Chairman :  I  think  I  am  not  mistaken  this  time,  when  I  in- 
troduce to  you  the  next  and  last  speaker,  as  to  the  fact  that  he  was  born  in 
Ridgefield.  Some  of  these  who  have  spoken  have  not  been  born  here,  although 
we  claim  them,  having  spent  most  of  their  boyhood  days  here. 

I  have  now  great  pleasure  in  introducing  to  you  President  Cyrus  Northrop 
of  Minnesota  University,  who  presides  over  an  institution  where  about  4,400 
young  students  are  being  educated  for  usefulness  in  life,  and  has  presided  over 
that  institution  with  great  honor  and  credit  to  himself  for  twenty-three  years, 
if  I  am  not  mistaken. 


BY  CYRUS  NORTHROP,  LL.D.,  President  Minnesota  University. 

Mr.  President,  I  am  exceedingly  glad  that  Judge  Walsh  has  saved  me  the 
necessity  of  paying  to  you  personally  the  tribute  which  it  would  have  afforded 
me  great  pleasure  to  give  you.  I  am  glad  because  it  gives  me  time  to  say  other 
things  which  are  perhaps  as  necessary  as  to  repeat  a  tribute  to  you,  who  by  this 
time  must  be  quite  aware  of  the  honor  in  which  you  are  held  by  the  residents  of 
Ridgefield,  as  well  as  by  those  who  have  gone  away  from  the  town. 

I  am  here  simply  for  the  purpose  of  enjoying  this  celebration  and  of  partici- 
pating in  it  as  a  former  son  of  Ridgefield.  I  haven't  come  here  for  the  purpose 
of  making  an  extended  address,  or  of  being  a  part  of  the  celebration.  I  have 
been  to  a  great  many  celebrations  in  a  great  many  places,  some  larger  than  this, 
and  I  have  enjoyed  them  in  some  measure,  but  I  want  to  congratulate  you  all 
upon  the  success  of  this  celebration.  It  is  modest,  it  is  sincere,  it  is  unique,  and 
it  meets  the  requirements  of  the  occasion;  and  I  have  very  heartily  enjoyed 
everything  that  has  happened  since  the  exercises  began  last  evening.  The 
music  was  delightful,  and  I  felt  as  we  listened  to  the  music  last  night,  what 
an  atmosphere  of  religious  purity  breathes  over  this  celebration  with  these  songs 
by  the  people  who  live  here !  And  it  was  a  delightful  thing  to  find  on  the  plat- 


72  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

form  last  night  men  representing  the  most  extreme  differences  of  religious  be- 
lief,—  the  extreme  Puritan,  if  you  please,  and  the  Roman  Catholic,  Episcopalian 
and  Methodist.  There  were  times  when  I  was  a  boy  when  nothing  like  that 
would  have  been  possible  in  Ridgefield,  and  when  even  among  the  Protestant 
denominations  there  were  violent  contentions.  I  was  delighted,  Sir,  to  see  the 
representatives  of  all  these  religious  faiths  unite  here  upon  the  platform,  recog- 
nizing for  the  time  at  least  that  there  is  only  one  God  for  them  all,  only  one  Re- 
deemer for  them  all,  only  one  Heaven  for  them  all,  and  that  it  is  well  for  them 
that  they  should  live  in  concord  here  on  earth,  emphasizing  the  things  in  which 
they  agree,  trying  to  unite  on  doing  the  things  that  are  good,  that  they  may 
enjoy  some  things  of  God  when  they  meet  in  the  beyond. 

I  have  lived  long  enough  to  know  that  the  great  thing  in  this  world  after 
all  is  not  fighting  and  contention,  but  it  is  love.  Now  abide  these  three,  faith, 
hope,  love,  but  the  greatest  of  these  is  love.  The  power  that  is  going  to  make 
this  nation  what  it  ought  to  be  is  not  contention  and  fighting,  though  we  may 
have  to  fight  for  principles  that  we  love,  but  it  is  love  that  shall  bind  us  all  to- 
gether in  a  common  impulse  to  make  our  country  what  it  ought  to  be,  and  to 
maintain  the  things  that  are  good  and  right. 

It  is  more  than  fifty  years  since  I  went  away  from  Ridgefield,  and  I  have 
been  here  often  enough  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  town  and  know  what  was  go- 
ing on,  but  I  haven't  been  here  often  enough  to  keep  up  my  acquaintance  with 
the  people  as  a  whole.  How  many  people  there  are  in  Ridgefield  that  know  me 
or  ever  saw  me,  I  haven't  any  idea.  Some  old  friends  I  meet  and  am  glad  to 
meet.  In  this  fifty  years  the  town  has  been  transformed.  It  was  always  beauti- 
ful —  God  made  it  beautiful  —  no  man  could  make  it  anything  but  beautiful. 
The  great  wide  street,  with  its  noble  trees  and  its  green  lawn  and  its  comfortable 
houses  —  no  man  could  degrade  that  street  and  make  it  anything  but  beautiful. 
It  is  more  beautiful  today  than  it  ever  was  —  with  the  old  white  church  crown- 
ing the  spot  where  it  stood,  the  most  beautiful  spot  in  the  whole  town.  What 
a  street  it  was !  I  was  born  in  West  Lane,  and  I  knew  the  West  Lane  district. 
There  were  thirty-nine  families  in  that  district  when  I  was  a  boy,  and  to  my 
knowledge  there  are  only  five  families  of  the  thirty-nine  that  have  any  repre- 
sentatives now  living  in  that  district.  I  knew  the  southern  part  of  the  Main 
street  better  than  I  did  the  upper.  I  can  name  the  people  in  the  order  in  which 
they  lived  up  to  the  Episcopal  church.  Beginning  at  the  lower  end  of  the  street 
there  was  Burr  Keeler,  and  then  Captain  Ben  Keeler,  Abraham  Holmes,  Chaun- 
cey  Olmstead,  Platt  Brush,  Harvey  Smith,  Thaddeus  Keeler,  Isaac  Lewis,  Abijah 
Resseguie,  Smith  Keeler,  George  Keeler,  Eli  Foot,  Czar  Jones,  William  Hawley, 
Elijah  Hawley,  Nathan  Smith,  Deacon  Elisha  Hawley,  Samuel  Hawley,  Joshua 
King,  David  Hurlburt,  Rufus  Pickett  and  Dr.  Nehemiah  Perry. 

Now  a  singular  thing  about  it  is  that  these  men  stand  before  me  today  with 
an  individuality  that  has  not  been  dimmed  one  particle  in  the  course  of  years. 
Every  man  has  an  individuality  about  him.  There  were  no  men  in  that  whole 
crowd  that  were  alike  in  any  respect  whatever.  There  were  few  men  that  had 
the  same  occupation.  Go  into  a  great  city  today  —  I  live  in  a  city  of  300,000 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  73 

people,  where  sixty  years  ago  there  were  no  people  at  all.  Go  there  or  into 
any  great  city,  especially  Chicago  or  New  York,  and  see  the  great  crowds  of 
people  that  pour  into  the  city  in  the  morning  and  go  out  of  the  city  at  night. 
I  stand  and  look  at  them  —  they  don't  look  like  men  having  individuality.  They 
are  simply  cogs  in  the  multitude  of  wheels  of  industry  that  are  driven  by  a  force 
somewhere  out  of  themselves  titanic  and  unseen.  Some  power  keeps  the  elec- 
tricity or  the  water  working,  and  these  men  are  simply  cogs  in  the  wheels  that 
roll  around  until  their  work  is  done.  These  men  here  in  Ridgefield,  every  man 
of  them,  was  a  power  within  himself,  working  at  something,  one  a  blacksmith, 
one  a  harness  maker,  one  a  carriage  maker.  There  was  Deacon  Harvey  Smith, 
one  of  the  strongest  intellects  that  ever  existed  in  the  town  of  Ridgefield,  a  noble 
man,  a  man  whom  I  remember  in  the  prayer  meeting.  When  Deacon  Smith  rose 
to  pray  I  tell  you  the  Almighty  was  going  to  give  attention.  He  bowed  his  head 
and  shook  it  as  if  he  would  shake  out  of  it  all  the  worldliness  that  ever  existed. 
He  began :  "  O,  Thou,  eternal,  omniscient,  ever-living  God,"  and  I  tell  you 
that  prayer  meant  something.  We  all  knew  there  was  going  to  be  a  prayer  when 
Deacon  Smith  got  up.  None  of  your  weak,  simpering,  lackadaisical,  hope-for- 
nothing  sort  of  prayers  that  you  sometines  hear.  I  tell  you  he  was  a  great  man ; 
he  ought  to  have  had  a  mission  a  great  deal  wider  and  larger  than  that  old  corner 
store.  There  was  Joshua  King,  an  aristocratic  man  of  noble  bearing.  He  was 
a  representative  man  of  wealth  of  that  day,  the  John  D.  Rockefeller  of  the  day. 
To  be  as  rich  as  Joshua  King  meant  untold  wealth.  I  don't  think  he  was  a 
tremendously  wealthy  man,  as  things  are  today.  I  think  every  man  in  Ridge- 
field thoroughly  respected  Joshua  King  as  a  gentleman  who  was  affable,  courte- 
ous and  kind.  There  was  old  Dr.  Perry,  who  had  a  mixture  of  medical  knowl- 
edge and  a  polite  affability  that  supplied  whatever  lack  of  medical  knowledge 
he  may  have  had,  I  do  not  mean  that  he  lacked  knowledge,  and  the  two  went 
together  in  such  a  charming  way  that  people  would  send  for  him  thirty  or 
forty  miles  away  to  cure  them  of  diseases  that  no  ordinary  doctor  could  cure. 
He  was  a  delightful  old  doctor.  So  I  might  speak  of  other  men.  The  point  I 
make  is,  there  was  a  wonderful  individuality  about  them  all,  and  they  stand  up 
today  as  conspicuous  as  the  statues  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington.  Look  at  your 
two  representatives  from  Connecticut,  noble  specimens  of  men.  As  I  look 
round  upon  my  Connecticut  brethren  of  today,  I  feel  they  are  but  imperfectly 
maintaining  the  standard  of  such  men  as  Jonathan  Trumbull  and  other  noble 
specimens  of  men  that  Connecticut  had  in  the  olden  time. 

These  are  some  of  the  men,  and  the  characteristic  was  the  delightful  in- 
dividuality that  they  had.  Every  one  of  them  thought  for  himself,  every  one 
of  them  stood  for  a  certain  kind  of  character,  and  every  man  in  town  knew 
what' the  character  of  every  other  man  was.  The  delightful  thing  about  a  coun- 
try place  is  that  every  man  knows  his  neighbor,  and  every  man  stands  as  an  ex- 
ample to  his  neighbor,  and  so  things  are  kept  as  they  ought  to  be.  The  great 
city  with  thousands  and  thousands  hidden  away  at  night,  God  knows  where, 
and  coming  out  like  rats  in  the  morning  to  earn  a  living,  working  all  day  in  a 
mechanical,  unindividual  way,  and  then  going  back  again  —  what  is  such  a  life 


74  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

as  that  compared  with  the  beauty,  the  sweetness,  the  joy,  the  peace  of  a  life  in 
a  country  town  like  this ! 

I  went  to  that  famous  school  on  High  Ridge,  in  the  Peter  Parley  house.  It 
was  rather  a  remarkable  group  of  boys  up  there.  I  remember  William  Smith, 
son  of  Deacon  Smith,  and  Walter  Jones.  They  were  older  than  I.  There  was 
James  H.  Olmstead  who  afterwards  was  prominent  as  a  lawyer  in  Stamford. 
There  was  Timothy  K.  Wilcox  who  took  the  valedictory  at  Yale,  and  died  a 
few  years  later.  There  was  William  Henry  Northrop,  brother  of  your  Dr.  A. 
L.  Northrop.  He  died  when  a  school  boy.  He  was  remarkably  bright  and  I 
have  often  wondered  what  his  career  would  have  been  if  he  had  lived.  There 
was  Rufus  S.  Pickett,  who  later  studied  law  and  became  a  judge  in  New  Haven. 
There  was  Ira  S.  Keeler  whom  most  of  you  knew  for  years  as  an  active  citizen 
of  Ridgefield  and  who  died  in  Florida.  There  was  Frank  Hawley,  son  of  Eben 
Hawley,  a  very  dear  friend  of  mine.  He  died  when  he  was  a  Junior  in  Amherst 
College.  He  and  I  used  to  study  the  newspapers  to  learn  all  we  could  about 
the  Mexican  war  and  especially  what  was  happening  to  his  cousin,  a  young 
lieutenant,  just  out  of  West  Point,  Darius  N.  Couch.  A  few  years  ago  I  met 
in  Minneapolis  that  same  Darius  N.  Couch,  no  longer  lieutenant,  but  major- 
general  of  the  United  States  Army.  The  only  men  in  the  whole  group  living 
today  are  the  Rev.  S.  McNeill  Keeler  of  Danbury  and  myself.  The  rest  are  all 
gone.  Now  I  am  not  here  to  say  a  word  about  myself  or  my  life.  I  have  been 
twenty-four  years  in  Minneapolis ;  I  have  seen  great  changes,  great  growth  in 
every  respect ;  I  have  had  a  delightful  time  there ;  it  is  a  delightful  place ;  I 
love  it  and  love  to  live  there,  but  I  am  always  glad  to  see  my  native  town;  I 
am  always  glad  to  feel  that  it  is  as  clean  and  delightful  and  as  noble  in  character 
as  it  ever  was ;  I  am  glad  to  feel  that  what  God  made  so  beautiful,  these  rocks, 
such  as  you  can  ride  from  Minneapolis  to  Branchville  without  seeing,  and  as 
you  start  from  Branchville  to  Ridgefield  you  get  the  first  vision  of  the  hard 
black  rocks  partially  covered  with  vines  and  leaves;  these  rocks  that  God  made 
so  beautiful  and  are  so  beautiful  all  over  the  town,  the  same  things  that  land- 
scape architects  like  to  put  into  their  landscapes  in  an  artificial  way  to  make 
things  beautiful;  these  are  all  here  even  when  wealth  and  art  have  not  touched 
them. 

But  there  has  come  into  this  town  great  wealth ;  there  have  come  people 
from  outside,  in  New  York;  they  have  with  exquisite  taste  and  great  liberality 
built  residences  and  made  the  town  more  beautiful  than  it  was;  and  with  your 
new  roads,  new  lighting  apparatus,  new  water  works,  new  dwelling  houses, 
with  the  glorious  places  that  are  spread  out  in  beauty  on  almost  every  hill, 
united  with  all  the  beauty  that  nature  originally  gave  you  and  that  nothing  can 
rob  you  of,  Ridgefield  is  in  my  estimation  today  as  beautiful  a  place  as  there  is 
anywhere  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  A  little  hill  town  —  what  does  it  amount  to  ? 
What  is  it  worth  in  the  country  as  compared  with  the  great  city?  Oh,  the  little 
hill  towns  are  the  places  from  which  have  come  the  men  who  have  given  glory 
to  the  country,  and  have  assured  prosperity  to  our  institutions.  Whence  came 
Abraham  Lincoln?  From  the  great  city?  Whence  came  Ulysses  S.  Grant  — 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  75 

from  the  great  city  ?  Whence  came  the  founder  of  our  faith,  the  great  teacher  — 
from  the  great  city?  They  all  came  from  the  little  places,  the  places  in  which 
men  have  time  to  think,  to  meditate,  to  think  of  themselves,  to  think  of  their 
future,  to  think  of  their  life ;  places  where  life  is  not  one  almighty  Niagara  roar 
of  avarice  in  the  accumulation  of  wealth,  that  a  man  can  pile  up  and  drop  when 
he  dies.  Sir,  if  there  is  anything  ignoble,  it  is  a  passion  for  wealth  for  wealth's 
sake.  Men  that  accumulate  wealth,  but  use  it  as  a  blessing  for  their  fellowmen, 
are  God's  agents  in  doing  good,  and  I  believe  that  great  blessing  has  come  to 
Ridgefield  from  the  distribution  of  wealth.  But  if  there  are  any  young  men 
here  in  Ridgefield  who  are  thinking  for  themselves  that  their  object  in  life  shall 
be  to  go  out  and  accumulate  wealth,  and  then  come  back  here  to  live, —  I  tell 
you,  don't  do  it,  don't  do  it.  It  is  a  mighty  sight  more  important  what  you 
are,  than  what  you  get.  It  is  a  mighty  sight  more  important  what  kind  of  a 
man  you  are  going  to  be,  than  how  much  wealth  you  are  going  to  have;  and 
if  you  are  going  to  be  a  power  in  this  country  for  good,  you  have  got  to  be  a 
man  who  thinks,  who  thinks  correctly,  who  stands  for  the  things  that  are  right, 
knowing  what  is  right.  You  can  do  a  multitude  of  things  that  will  tell  for  the 
country's  honor  and  glory,  even  though  you  never  acquire  wealth  enough  to 
come  back  to  live  in  Ridgefield. 

Mr.  President,  I  suppose  I  have  more  than  fulfilled  any  obligation  that  you 
inadvertently  placed  me  under.  I  knew  perfectly  well  that  these  people  did  not 
know  me,  that  it  did  not  make  very  much  difference  to  them  whether  I  came  or 
not,  or  whether  I  spoke,  but  I  knew  you  did  know  me.  There  was  a  time  when 
you  knew  me  and  you  never  have  forgotten  the  day;  you  have  loved  me  and  I 
would  come  for  your  sake, —  and  I  am  here  today.  I  don't  know  as  many  of 
you  as  I  should  know  if  I  were  facing  a  Minneapolis  audience,  where  twenty- 
four  years  have  made  me  known  to  the  people  —  and  it  is  always  delightful  to 
speak  to  friends  —  but  I  am  perfectly  sure  that  I  am  speaking  now  to  an  audience 
as  friendly  as  any  I  could  gather  in  the  city  where  I  do  my  work,  and  if  you 
haven't  anything  else  to  make  you  rejoice  in  seeing  me,  you  must  certainly  re- 
joice to  see  me  because  I  am  the  last  speaker  of  the  morning. 

I  said  in  the  beginning  that  I  had  been  pleased  with  everything  that  has  oc- 
curred. I  have  been.  I  thank  the  gentlemen  and  the  singers,  and  the  clergymen 
last  evening  for  the  words  that  they  have  spoken.  I  thank  the  committee  for 
the  delightful  preparations  they  have  made  and  carried  out.  I  thank  the  citizens 
of  Ridgefield  for  giving  me  an  assurance  that  there  is  in  this  town  the  same 
high-toned  character  that  has  always  existed  here,  and  I  congratulate  you  that 
the  second  hundredth  anniversary  closes  under  circumstances  that  inspire  the 
fullest  confidence  and  hope  that  this  beautiful,  beautiful  place,  which  God  has 
so  abundantly  blessed  by  spreading  out  all  His  colors  as  an  artist  and  making 
it  a  place  for  men  to  grow  strong,  and  women  to  grow  beautiful  in,  and  children 
to  grow  up  pure  and  strong, —  will  in  the  centuries  to  come  maintain  the  high 
character  of  the  past,  maintain  its  historical  excellence  for  right  principles  and 
noble  men,  and  that  the  generations  that  shall  be  raised  here  will  be  a  credit  to 
the  great  ancestors  who  brought  from  England  a  love  of  freedom  and  in  Ply- 


76  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

mouth  established  a  system  of  government  that  was  honorable  and  just  to  man- 
kind. Let  me  say  in  conclusion  that  whatever  may  be  said  by  anybody  of  the 
Puritan,  the  Pilgrim  never  persecuted  and  was  never  unjust.  Let  us  love  one 
another,  let  us  remember  the  things  in  which  we  agree  and  join  hands  for  mak- 
ing them  powerful  and  permanent,  and  let  us  make  as  little  of  the  things  in 
which  we  disagree  as  possible,  that  there  may  be  union  and  harmony  among 
us,  and  that  the  great  work  of  life  may  move  forward  successfully  at  our  hands. 
I  thank  you  for  having  given  me  the  opportunity  once  more  of  meeting  you  all. 
There  are  men  and  women  in  this  audience  whose  hands  I  want  to  shake,  and 
who  must  not  leave  this  house  until  they  have  come  to  me  and  shaken  hands. 
Some  of  them  know  me  very  well ;  some  of  them  I  know  very  well,  and  if  there 
are  any  that  do  not  know  me  and  that  I  do  not  know,  let  them  not  go  away  in 
haste,  leaving  me  in  solitude  after  these  exercises  are  closed. 

MR.  SEYMOUR:  We  will  now  close  by  singing  two  verses  of  Julia  Ward 
Howe's  Hymn  of  the  Republic,  and  the  audience  is  invited  to  join  in  the  chorus. 

I  wish  to  say  before  closing  that  this  afternoon  at  three  o'clock  it  is  ex- 
pected that  the  children  of  the  various  schools  of  the  town  will  assemble  in  this 
place  and  read  papers  which  they  have  prepared,  concerning  the  history  of 
Ridgefield,  to  be  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  town  board  of  education. 
And  at  four  o'clock  this  afternoon  the  business  men  of  the  town  expect  to  have 
a  parade  on  the  main  street.  Thank  you  all  very  much  for  being  here  on  this 
occasion,  and  sitting  so  quietly  on  such  an  uncomfortable  day.  I  know  you  have 
been  interested  in  the  remarks  of  the  speakers  who  have  addressed  you. 


At  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  July  7th  the  school  children  of  the  town  as- 
sembled in  the  town  hall,  under  the  auspices  of  the  town  school  board,  and  after 
listening  to  some  patriotic  music  furnished  by  the  Ridgefield  band,  read  the  fol- 
lowing historical  papers  concerning  the  early  settlement  of  the  town,  which  had 
been  prepared  by  them  for  the  occasion.  They  are  published  in  order  to  give  a 
complete  record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  day. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  RIDGEFIELD 
BY  MARGARET  KENNEDY 

In  the  year,  1708,  Catoonah,  sachem  of  the  Ramapoo  Indians,  sold  for  one 
hundred  pounds  sterling  a  tract  of  land  bounded  north  and  east  by  Danbury, 
south  by  Norwalk  and  west  by  New  York  State,  to  twenty-nine  men  from  Nor- 
walk  and  three  from  Mil  ford.  That  year  the  General  Assembly  appointed 
Major  Peter  Burr  of  Fairfield,  John  Copp  of  Norwalk,  and  Josiah  Starr  of  Dan- 
bury,  to  survey  and  lay  out  the  new  settlement.  A  street  six  rods  wide  was 
planned  from  north  to  south.  On  either  side  were  home  lots  of  two  and  one-half 
acres ;  in  the  center  a  "  Green  "  for  the  meeting,  town  and  school  houses,  and  on 
the  east  and  west  ridges,  five  acres  of  pasture  to  each  home  lot.  Then  the  place, 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  77 

appropriately  named  Ridgefield,  was  ready  for  the  new  inhabitants  to  move  in 
and  go  to  housekeeping.  At  the  north  end  of  the  town  is  a  great  boulder  called 
"  Settlers'  Rock,"  supposed  to  have  been  the  camping  place  of  the  first  comers  to 
Ridgefield.  November,  1708,  was  the  date  of  the  lottery  by  means  of  which  the 
land  was  apportioned  and  twenty-five  home-sites  were  drawn.  It  will  not  be 
necessary  here  to  relate  doings  of  the  early  settlers.  Not  until  the  year  of  1775 
does  the  history  of  Ridgefield  take  a  prominent  part.  In  1775  a  number  of 
patriots  had  gathered  at  Ridgefield  Inn  to  discuss  the  chief  topics  that  were 
agitating  the  minds  of  the  colonists.  Many  of  the  colonists  felt  that  the  time 
for  resisting  the  unjust  measures  was  close  at  hand  and  circumstances  were  fast 
approaching  a  crisis.  On  March  10,  1775,  Governor  Tryon  issued  the  follow- 
ing proclamation : 

Know  ye  all  men  by  these  presents !  That  I,  William  Tryon,  a  servant  and 
governor  of  his  most  gracious  majesty,  our  worthy  sovereign,  do  hereby  decree 
that  those  misguided  persons,  who  perhaps  tempted  and  harnessed  by  scheming 
and  rebellious  friends  being  led  away  from  their  several  duties  by  misrepre- 
sentation, if,  upon  returning  to  the  allegiance  to  their  king,  immediately,  with 
sworn  declaration  that  they  will  not  again  become  estranged  from  the  path  of 
duty,  do  hereby  grant  them  pardon  and  all  rights  that  they  have  formerly 
possessed.  But  those  who  fail  to  renew  their  allegiance,  to  his  most  gracious 
majesty,  King  George  Third,  are  to  be  known  as  rebels  and  traitors,  and  upon 
such  they  will  be  imprisoned  and  their  property  confiscated. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

WILLIAM  TRYON, 
Governor  of  New  York. 

Major  General  of  Troops. 

In  the  spring  of  1777  the  following  message  was  brought  to  General  Bene- 
dict Arnold  and  Colonel  Oswald : — "  Governor  Tryon,  with  Brigadier-General 
Agnew  and  Sir  William  Erskine  have  just  landed  at  Campo  Hill,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Saugatuck  River,  with  2,000  men,  and  think  their  object  is  to  destroy 
stores  at  Danbury  some  twenty  or  thirty  miles  away.  Gather  every  available 
man  to  march  in  pursuit,  to  intercept  or  give  battle."  When  Lord  Howe  pro- 
ceeded against  Peekskill  to  destroy  the  stores  that  were  known  to  have  been 
accumulated  there,  by  some  good  fortune  the  patriots  learned  of  his  intention 
in  advance,  giving  them  sufficient  time  to  remove  them  to  Danbury,  Connecticut, 
a  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  eastward.  Learning  of  this  some  time 
later,  he  secretly  determined  to  make  that  point  the  seat  of  his  future  operations 
at  some  opportune  time  when  the  place  was  poorly  guarded  and  most  of  the 
militia  were  engaged  elsewhere.  It  was  therefore  at  one  of  these  times  early 
in  the  spring  of  1777  when  it  was  determined  upon  to  attack  this  point.  Colonel 
Joseph  P.  Cook,  with  a  small  number  to  guard  these  stores,  was  in  constant  com- 
munication with  many  points  to  gain  reinforcements  at  short  notice,  if  occasion 
required  it.  Expresses  were  constantly  sent  out  to  keep  him  informed  of  all 
that  was  going  on  within  the  surrounding  country.  Lieutenant  Lockwood  was 


78  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

instructed  to  mount  and  ride  to  Wooster  or  Silliman  at  Fairfield.  He  was  to 
tell  them  of  the  forces  at  Danbury,  and  if  possible  to  give  their  assistance.  The 
enemy  came  upon  Lockwood  and  tried  to  capture  him,  but  he  evaded  them  and 
delivered  his  message.  They  advanced  steadily  and  reached  Danbury.  After 
taking  possession  of  the  town,  destroying  the  stores  and  setting  fire  to  the  houses, 
there  began  a  scene  of  the  wildest  excess,  cruelty  and  devastation  that  could 
characterize  an  unprincipled  and  exasperated  enemy.  Liquors  were  stored  in 
quantities  and  the  British  soldiers  fell  on  these  until  their  beastly  natures  were 
satisfied.  Most  of  the  stores  of  pork  and  flour  were  stored  in  the  Episcopal 
church,  and  that  edifice  was  the  only  church  spared,  with  the  exception  of  the 
homes  of  the  Tories.  Provisions  were  rolled  out  into  the  streets  and  set  on 
fire.  After  the  conflagration  pork  fat  was  deep  in  the  streets.  Leaving  Dan- 
bury  after  their  night  of  cruelty  and  debauchery,  General  Tryon  brought  his 
men  through  the  Sugar  Hollow  Road.  They  had  but  left  this  road  a  few  miles  in 
the  rear  before  they  were  surprised  by  the  Americans.  Tryon  knew  his  men  were 
in  no  condition  to  resist  an  attack  by  the  Americans  and  urged  one  of  his  officers 
to  do  his  best  to  put  the  men  in  a  position  to  return  the  attack.  General  Wooster 
was  the  leader  of  the  Yankees,  as  the  British  called  the  Americans.  Wooster 
urged  his  men  forward  and  attacked  the  rear  guard  of  the  enemy  and  to  harass 
them  in  flank  and  rear  so  as  to  retard  their  progress  until  he  should  be  strength- 
ened by  Arnold  and  Silliman.  In  regard  to  numbers,  the  Americans  were  but 
a  handful  compared  to  the  British.  After  an  onslaught  on  the  British  in 
which  a  large  number  were  killed  and  wounded,  the  British  general  brought 
three  field  pieces  into  position  and  charged  on  the  Americans  from  cannon. 
This  brought  great  confusion  in  the  colonists'  lines,  which  were  about  to  retreat 
in  disorder  when  General  Wooster  rode  up  and  encouraged  his  men  to  make  an- 
other charge.  Just  at  this  moment  a  stray  ball  hit  the  general  and  he  fell  from 
his  horse  mortally  wounded.  He  was  taken  to  Danbury  and  only  lived  a  few 
days.  The  British  now  steadily  advanced,  discharging  their  artillery  to  dis- 
lodge the  Americans,  who  had  greatly  increased  in  number  and  who  were  harass- 
ing the  enemy  unmercifully.  The  American  officers  Arnold,  Oswold,  Johnson, 
and  Taunt  strengthened  the  American  army  to  a  surprising  degree,  more  so 
than  the  British  believed.  After  the  first  attack  the  British  were  startled  and 
overwhelmed  by  the  superior  forces  with  which  they  had  to  deal.  Soon  rally- 
ing and  retaining  their  position  they  advanced  up  the  hill  an  invisible  foe,  from 
behind  trees,  rocks  and  buildings,  until  they  worked  around  to  the  rear  of  the 
patriots'  right  flank.  The  cause  of  this  drawback  on  the  American's  side  was 
that  they  did  not  have  enough  field  pieces  to  cope  with  the  British.  The  en- 
gagement lasted  about  an  hour  and  our  men  behaved  with  great  spirit  and 
courage.  At  last  they  were  forced  to  give  way  because  the  enemy  had  raised 
a  breastwork  across  the  road  directly  in  front  of  where  Arnold  was  entrenched. 
Arnold  ordered  a  retreat  and  was  bringing  off  his  rear  guard  when  his  horse 
was  shot  from  under  him.  At  last  Arnold  had  to  command  his  men  to  retreat 
to  save  themselves,  that  the  British  were  upon  them.  General  Tryon  and  his 
men  did  not  seek  shelter  in  the  village  because  he  knew  how  he  was  hated  by 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  79 

the  village  people,  so  he  encamped  about  a  mile  south  of  the  main  street  over- 
looking the  sound.  Early  the  next  morning  just  at  dawn  Tryon  burned  one 
of  the  houses  near  at  hand  as  a  signal  to  the  ships  in  the  sound.  During  the 
whole  march  to  the  sound  they  were  harassed  by  the  colonists.  They  reached 
their  ships  by  making  a  longer  journey  to  evade  the  Americans. 


BY  MARION  NORTHROP 

Ridgefield,  a  small  town  in  the  western  part  of  Connecticut,  had  at  first 
only  a  few  settlers.  It  consisted  of  hills  on  the  west  and  woods  sloped  down 
to  Long  Island  Sound.  The  people  that  settled  in  Ridgefield  came  from  Nor- 
walk  and  Milford.  They  consisted  mostly  of  Northrops,  Keelers,  Nashes  and 
Hawleys.  This  town  was  settled  by  a  sturdy  race  of  men.  Nearly  all  the 
people  were  farmers,  and  there  was  a  butcher  who  went  from  house  to  house 
killing  the  people's  hogs  and  cattle,  but  he  had  no  market.  There  was  a  tanner 
who  tanned  skins  for  people.  There  was  a  clothier  who  made  clothes  for  the 
people  but  went  to  the  house  to  make  them  and  did  not  have  a  tailor  shop  as 
we  have  now. 

Sap  was  gathered  from  the  maple  trees  in  March,  boiled  down  in  the  woods 
and  made  into  sugar  or  syrup. 

The  men  of  those  times  wore  knee  breeches,  long  tailed  coats,  and  hats 
with  low  crowns  and  wide  brims.  The  stockings  of  the  parson  were  silk  in 
summer  and  worsted  in  winter.  The  women  had  bonnets  of  silk  or  straw, 
gowns  of  gingham,  silk  or  muslin,  short  waisted  and  close.  The  dress  of  the 
people  in  those  days  was  very  different  from  what  it  is  now. 

The  people  had  farms  of  their  own  and  neat  cottages  with  large  fireplaces 
and  a  backlog  from  fifteen  to  twenty  inches  in  diameter  and  about  five  feet  long, 
imbedded  in  ashes. 

Marriages  took  place  in  the  evening  and  all  the  people  came  without  any 
invitation.  At  funerals  there  were  long  processions  and  when  the  procession 
got  to  the  cemetery  the  parson  gave  a  talk  suited  to  the  occasion. 

Dances  were  given  at  different  houses  quite  often. 

The  West  Lane  school  is  probably  the  oldest  in  Ridgefield.  It  is  built  on 
the  triangle  where  four  roads  meet,  as  was  then  common,  because  it  was  handier 
for  the  pupils  from  all  directions.  It  was  rough  and  unpainted  and  consisted 
of  two  apartments,  the  entry  and  the  schoolroom.  The  benches  were  made 
around  three  sides  of  the  room  and  the  scholars  sat  at  low  desks.  There  was 
a  huge  fireplace  at  one  side  of  the  room  and  the  chimney  was  so  straight  that 
the  snow  and  rain  came  down  on  the  hearth.  This  was  the  only  means  of  heat- 
ing the  room.  In  winter  when  the  wood  was  too  green  to  burn  and  the  ther- 
mometer ten  or  twenty  degrees  below  zero,  the  teacher  would  let  the  scholars 
go  home,  for  which  they  were  very  glad.  In  summer  the  teacher  was  a 
woman  and  the  scholars  were  the  younger  ones,  and  in  winter  the  teacher  was 
a  man  and  the  boys  and  girls  from  the  youngest  up  to  sixteen  or  twenty  at- 


8o  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

tended,  and  in  a  small  schoolroom  there  would  be  perhaps  forty  children  un- 
der one  teacher.  The  scholars  were  called  up  to  the  teacher's  desk  and  there 
they  recited  instead  of  reciting  in  a  class  as  we  do  now.  In  those  days  they 
studied  reading,  arithmetic  and  grammar  and  some  other  studies  that  we  study 
now  but  not  in  the  same  way. 

The  meeting  house  or  church  was  covered  with  shingles  and  clapboards 
but  it  had  no  stoves  and  no  carpet  on  the  floor.  For  heating  they  had  little 
foot-stoves  in  which  they  put  live  coals.  The  pulpit  was  like  a  little  balcony 
up  above  the  people  at  one  end  of  the  church.  The  seats  were  square  and  the 
people  sat  on  three  sides. 

BY  KATHERINE  WHELAN 

The  citizens  of  every  village  are  more  or  less  proud  of  their  village  and  its 
history.  The  citizens  of  Ridgefield  are  privileged  to  be  proud  of  the  history 
of  their  town.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  New  England's  towns.  When  in 
possession  of  the  Indians  Ridgefield  was  known  by  the  Indian  name  of  Cauda- 
towa,  meaning  "  high  land  " ;  and  indeed  the  name  was  well  given,  for  beautiful 
High  Ridge  rises  to  an  altitude  of  eight  hundred  feet  above  sea  level  and  the 
beautiful  homes  that  adorn  it  command  a  view  that  has  become  famous. 

The  first  settlement  was  started  by  a  small  number  of  enterprising  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town  of  Norwalk  in  1708.  Those  early  pioneers  had  indeed  set 
themselves  to  a  severe  task  to  come  with  their  families  to  this  place,  which  was 
then  a  wilderness,  and  to  build  homes  and  clear  and  cultivate  the  land. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  white  men  who  set  foot  in  this  town  passed  their 
first  night  on  the  large  rock  about  opposite  the  schoolhouse  at  Titicus.  Among 
the  early  settlers  there  were  no  wealthy  men,  they  were  all  of  moderate  means. 
As  money  was  not  very  plentiful  in  those  days  the  settlers  traded  among  them- 
selves, and  the  minister  was  paid  for  his  services  in  rye,  wheat  and  Indian  corn. 

When  the  Revolutionary  War  broke  out  a  company  of  sixty-four  men 
was  formed  in  the  village  and  commanded  by  Captain  Northrop.  Colonel 
Philip  Bradley  and  General  Joshua  King  were  also  conspicuous  in  the  war. 
The  list  of  Ridgefield's  noted  sons  does  not  end  here,  for  men  of  literary  note 
are  added  to  it.  Among  them  is  S.  G.  Goodrich,  whose  works  were  published 
under  the  nom  de  plume  of  "  Peter  Parley."  The  house  on  the  Ridge,  now 
the  residence  of  Mr.  John  A.  King,  was  once  the  home  of  Peter  Parley. 

Another  was  Ezekiel  Sanford,  who  edited  the  Eclectic  Magazine  and  wrote 
a  pre-Revolutionary  History  of  the  United  States.  At  the  present  time  Ridge- 
field's  sons  may  be  found  in  the  various  walks  of  life  as  doctors,  lawyers,  etc. 
And  one  of  them,  Professor  Cyrus  Northrup,  is  president  of  one  of  our  Western 
universities. 

At  one  time  Ridgefield  had  hat  and  shoe  factories  and  tanneries.  Iron 
and  sulphur  have  also  been  found  in  the  town.  But  at  the  present  time  it  is 
more  particularly  noted  as  a  town  of  summer  homes  of  many  of  the  wealthy 
families  from  New  York  and  other  large  cities.  Few  towns  can  boast  so  many 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  81 

beautiful  drives,  and  the  views  and  scenery  are  unsurpassed.  There  is  an  ex- 
cellent public  library,  and  the  Village  Improvement  Society  has  done  much 
to  beautify  the  town.  Few,  if  any,  villages  in  New  England  have  so  beautiful 
a  main  street.  It  is  over  a  mile  in  length  and  about  a  hundred  feet  wide  and 
is  lined  on  either  side  with  an  unbroken  row  of  noble  trees.  The  beautiful 
homes  with  their  broad  lawns  and  beautiful  trees  are  extremely  attractive. 


BY  LETTIE  RITCH 

In  1708,  Catoonah,  sachem  of  the  Ramapoo  Indians,  sold  for  one  hundred 
pounds  sterling,  a  tract  of  land  bounded  north  and  east  by  Danbury,  south  by 
Norwalk,  and  west  by  New  York  State,  to  twenty-nine  men  from  Norwalk 
and  three  from  Milford. 

This  tract  of  land  included  Ridgefield  —  one  of  the  most  historic  and 
beautiful  country  seats  in  Connecticut,  a  battle  ground  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution, and  the  home  of  patriots. 

During  the  Revolution,  Ridgefield,  intensely  patriotic,  raised  two  companies 
of  soldiers,  one  under  Captain  Northrop,  one  under  Captain  Olmstead. 

Five  hundred  patriots  under  General  Benedict  Arnold  reached  Ridgefield, 
April  27,  1777,  in  the  morning  and  built  a  hasty  barricade  of  earth  and  rocks, 
across  the  north  end  of  the  street. 

Here  the  British  routed  the  Americans  during  this  skirmish,  and  sixteen 
royalists  and  eight  patriots  were  killed.  General  Arnold  narrowly  escaped,  for 
his  horse  was  shot  under  him.  Stebbins  homestead  was  used  as  a  temporary 
hospital  and  the  dead  were  buried  in  the  adjoining  field. 

In  South  Salem,  Maj.  Andre  lodged  a  prisoner  under  the  guard  of  Lieut. 
Joshua  King.  King  became  attached  to  Andre  (his  charge)  whom  he  accom- 
panied to  the  gallows.  The  arm  chair  used  by  Andre  while  in  South  Salem 
is  now  in  possession  of  Lieut.  King's  descendants. 

During  the  Revolution  the  Episcopal  church  was  used  to  store  away  sup- 
plies. This  building  and  six  others  were  fired  by  Gen.  Tryon  —  among  these 
buildings  was  the  Keeler  Tavern,  kept  by  Timothy  Keeler,  a  patriot.  The  Eng- 
lish heard  that  cartridges  were  being  made  in  the  tavern  and  they  (the  English) 
discharged  several  cannon  balls  into  the  house  (one  is  still  visible).  The  in- 
mates of  the  tavern  took  refuge  in  the  woods. 

Mr.  Keeler's  neighbor  was  a  Tory  who  finding  the  sparks  were  a  menace 
to  his  own  house  received  Tryon's  permission  to  quench  the  flames. 

When  Mr.  Keeler  returned  from  his  hiding  place,  the  Tory  met  him  say- 
ing, "  You  may  thank  me  that  your  house  is  safe."  "  No  sir,"  roared  the 
patriot,  "  I  will  not  thank  a  Tory  for  anything.  I  thank  the  Lord  for  the 
north  wind." 

In   journeying   from   New   York  to   Boston,   many  leading   Revolutionists 
and  others  stopped  at  Keeler  Tavern.    Among  these  was  Rochambeau.    Jerome 
Bonaparte,   Napoleon's  brother,   and  his  American  bride,   Elizabeth   Patterson 
of  Baltimore,  also  stopped  here  while  on  their  wedding  trip, 
ii 


82  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

About  this  time  there  were  but  four  newspapers,  all  weekly,  published  in 
the  state.  Hartford  published  one,  New  London  one,  New  Haven  one,  and 
Litchfield  one. 

There  were  but  three  subscribers  to  all  these  in  our  village. 

Ridgefield,  however,  being  on  the  road  between  New  York  and  Boston, 
kept  in  touch  with  the  world. 

Shortly  after  the  Revolution,  there  appeared  in  Ridgefield  a  half-demented 
woman,  Sarah  Bishop.  Her  abode  was  a  small  cave  on  the  mountain  side, 
overlooking  Long  Pond  and  on  what  is  now  the  Rippowam  estate. 

The  rumor  was  that  she  was  in  love  with  a  British  officer  and  that  her 
home  on  Long  Island  had  been  burned  by  the  British.  On  pleasant  days  the 
blue  waters  of  the  sound  can  be  seen  from  the  cave  now  called  Sarah  Bishop's 
cave.  In  1810  Sarah  Bishop  was  found  frozen  near  her  spring.  Her  cave 
still  remains. 

Many  men  influential  in  the  world's  progress  have  gone  from  this  quiet 
spot.  It  is  the  home  of  two  governors,  Hon.  Phineas  C.  Lounsbury,  who  was 
governor  from  1887  to  1889  and  Hon.  Geo.  E.  Lounsbury,  who  was  governor 
from  1899  to  1901.  Many  people  had  cause  to  bless  Hon.  Geo.  E.  Lounsbury 
as  he  was  very  charitable  and  he  did  much  for  his  village.  He  died  in  1904 
at  "  The  Hickories,"  his  lifelong  home. 

BY  MARTHA  WILKINS 

In  the  month  of  May,  1708,  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of 
Norwalk  petitioned  General  Assembly,  then  in  session  at  Hartford,  to  grant 
them  liberty  to  purchase  of  the  Indians  a  certain  tract  of  land  bounded  on 
the  south  by  Norwalk,  northeast  by  Danbury,  and  west  by  New  York. 

Such  liberty  was  granted  and  the  purchase  was  made  Sept.  30,  1708. 
After  purchasing  the  town  tract,  the  next  thing  was  to  settle  it.  This  the 
petitioners  proceeded  at  once  to  do.  The  Indians  had  called  this  tract  Cauda- 
towa,  or  highland,  a  name  suggested  probably  by  a  north  and  south  ridge 
situated  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  town.  This  ridge  rises  to  the  height  of 
eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, —  the  same  ridge  which  gave 
the  town  its  name. 

The  proprietors  decided  upon  the  ridge  as  the  most  desirable  point  of  set- 
tlement. A  street  six  rods  wide  was  surveyed  to  run  north  and  south,  and 
on  either  side  home  lots  of  two  and  one-half  acres  were  laid  out.  After  the 
original  twenty-nine  families  had  actually  located  in  the  town,  other  families 
began  at  once  to  come  in  and  purchase  lands,  erect  dwellings,  shops,  and 
stores.  The  settlement  grew  rapidly  and  soon  they  could  boast  of  a  church 
and  town  house.  The  land  was  not  in  a  condition  to  yield  much,  nor  could 
a  convenient  market  be  found  for  what  was  produced.  Hence,  the  inhabitants 
practiced  the  strictest  economy  and  traded  among  themselves,  their  minister 
being  paid  in  wheat,  rye  and  Indian  corn. 

About  sixty-seven  years  had  passed  when  the  great  Revolutionary  strug- 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  83 

gle  faced  the  country.  This  town,  with  many  others,  was  slow  to  take  the 
one  step  which  should  decide  its  future  destiny,  but  having  once  reached 
this  decision  it  stood  firm  and  unyielding  through  all  the  days  of  darkness 
which  preceded  the  birth  of  liberty  in  America. 

General  Howe,  being  informed  that  the  Americans  had  military  stores  in 
Danbury  and  its  neighborhood,  sent  Governor  Tryon  of  New  York  to  destroy 
them.  A  detachment  of  two  thousand  men  were  placed  under  Tryon's  com- 
mand. They  embarked  at  New  York,  passed  over  the  waters  of  Long  Island 
Sound,  and  cast  anchor  in  Saugatuck  harbor.  Upon  reaching  the  shore  they 
began  their  march,  destroying  everything  in  sight.  After  burning  Danbury, 
Tryon  led  his  troops  toward  Ridgefield.  In  the  meantime  the  news  of  Tryon's 
arrival  flew  along  the  whole  coast.  General  Sillman  with  about  five  hundred 
militia  pursued  the  enemy.  He  was  joined  later  by  the  venerable  Wooster 
and  Arnold.  It  was  late  when  they  reached  Bethel  and  decided  to  attack  the 
enemy  on  their  return.  General  Sillman  and  Arnold  with  five  hundred  men 
were  to  attack  the  enemy  in  front  while  General  Wooster  with  two  hundred 
half-armed  militia  was  to  attack  them  in  the  rear. 

The  following  morning  Wooster  overtook  Tryon's  army  about  three  miles 
above  Ridgefield.  Taking  advantage  of  the  uneven  condition  of  the  ground 
Wooster  fell  upon  the  whole  regiment  with  such  force  as  to  throw  them  into 
confusion  and  break  their  ranks.  A  few  miles  from  Ridgefield  he  again  charged 
furiously  upon  them  and  during  the  encounter  fell,  pierced  by  a  Tory  musket 
ball.  His  faithful  friends  stripped  his  sash  from  his  person  and  bore  him  upon 
it  from  the  field.  The  British  followed  Sillman  and  Arnold  to  Ridgefield  and 
having  the  better  position  compelled  the  Americans  to  retreat.  General  Tryon 
set  fire  to  the  Congregational  church,  but  to  his  sorrow  the  work  was  a  failure. 
He  was  more  fortunate  with  four  dwelling-houses  which  he  soon  had  the  satis- 
faction to  see  wrapped  in  flames.  He  now  resumed  his  march,  followed  by 
the  Americans.  They  followed  him  to  the  coast  where  he  and  his  army  set  sail. 

Situated  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town  and  separated  from  the  village 
of  Ridgefield  by  a  gorge,  and  a  range  of  hills,  is  the  parish  of  Ridgebury.  After 
the  burning  of  Danbury  many  of  the  people  fled  to  a  hill  about  a  mile  from 
the  present  Congregational  church.  In  September,  1780,  General  Washington 
while  on  his  way  from  the  Hudson  River  to  Hartford,  Conn.,  spent  the  night 
in  Ridgebury,  at  the  hotel  of  Ensign  Samuel  Keeler.  A  year  later  the  French 
army  under  Rochambeau  was  encamped  on  the  ridge  near  the  Ridgebury 
schoolhouse.  At  this  point  the  army  was  about  equally  distant  from  Long 
Island  Sound  and  the  Hudson  River.  In  July,  1781,  they  joined  General 
Washington  at  Dobb's  Ferry. 

The  Congregational  church  was  the  first  Christian  organization  of  the 
town,  being  formed  in  1712.  The  foundation  of  the  Episcopal  church  was 
laid  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Johnson  of  Stratford  in  1725.  A  short  time  prior  to 
1731  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  of  Ridgebury  was  organized  and  situated 
about  a  mile  south  of  the  present  Congregational  church  which  was  established 
m  1769.  In  1784  was  formed  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Ridgefield. 


84  I7°8     Ridgefield  Hi-Centennial     1908 

St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  church  was  erected  in  1869,  but  previous  to  that 
time  services  were  held  in  the  homes  of  the  various  parishioners. 

The  church  and  the  schoolhouse  have  always  stood  side  by  side.  Scarcely 
had  the  emigrant  settled,  before  the  log  schoolhouse  indicated  the  purpose  and 
plan  of  the  settler.  The  first  reference  made  to  the  schools  of  the  town  was  in 
the  year  1721,  when  the  town  voted  that  eight  pounds  shall  be  raised  for  the 
support  of  a  school.  The  first  school  was  nearly  opposite  Mr.  Abner 
Gilbert's  residence  and  later  school  was  taught  in  the  town  house.  The 
wages  given  to  the  masters  was  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  dollars  a  month,  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  scholars  and  the  ability  of  the  teachers.  Reading, 
writing,  arithmetic,  grammar,  and  a  little  manners  were  the  subjects  taught. 
In  1761,  schools  were  opened  at  West  Lane,  Titicus,  Limestone  and  Florida. 
Since  then  other  districts  were  formed,  making  fourteen  in  all. 

The  progress  of  the  town  between  1800  and  1860  compares  favorably  with 
other  towns  of  the  same  size. 

When  the  roar  of  the  first  gun  fired  on  Fort  Sumter  seemed  to  awaken 
echoes  in  every  village  and  hamlet,  Ridgefield  was  among  the  first  towns  in 
the  State  to  take  decisive  action  in  the  matter.  It  was  voted  that  an  appropria- 
tion be  made  from  the  treasury  of  the  Town  of  Ridgefield  for  the  support  of 
the  families  of  the  residents  of  the  town  who  volunteered  their  services  to  the 
call  of  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  two  hundred  years  of  its  history  have  wrought  many  changes  in 
Ridgefield.  Its  growth  has  been  gradual,  being  built  mostly  by  the  dollars 
earned  by  its  own  people  and  in  most  part  by  the  dollars  obtained  from  its  own 
soil. 

Ridgefield  Street  is  situated  in  the  same  spot  where  the  first  settlers  located. 
Embowered  in  trees  of  a  century's  growth,  with  walks  and  lawns  well  kept, 
it  is  one  of  the  prettiest  streets  in  Connecticut. 

The  best  "  water  view  "  to  be  had  in  town,  aside  from  that  of  Long  Island 
Sound,  is  from  the  western  side  of  West  Mountain,  three  beautiful  lakes  lying 
almost  at  your  feet. 

Ridgebury,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town,  has  changed  but  little  for 
many  years.  A  cluster  of  neat  farmhouses  surround  a  church  equally  neat. 
It  is  pleasantly  located  and  is  healthful  and  retired. 

The  elevated  position  of  the  town,  the  beauty  of  its  scenery,  the  purity  and 
healthfulness  of  climate,  the  easy  access  by  rail  to  New  York,  have  attracted 
many  wealthy  people  whose  homes  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  Ridgefield 
whose  attractions  few  towns  can  surpass. 

BY  ALEXANDER  MAVEN 

Today  we  are  celebrating  the  bi-centennial  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
little  towns  in  Connecticut,  namely,  Ridgefield. 

Two  hundred  years  ago  Ridgefield  was  a  wilderness,  today  we  can  well 
boast  of  its  beautiful  streets  and  magnificent  houses. 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  85 

To  begin  with,  take  our  Main  street,  over  a  mile  long,  with  its  fine  houses 
and  beautiful  shade  trees  of  elms  and  maples. 

In  the  year  1708  Ridgefield  was  bought  from  the  Ramapoo  Indians  for 
two  hundred  pounds  sterling  by  29  men  from  Norwalk  and  Milford.  It  was 
bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  Danbury,  on  the  south  by  Norwalk  and  on 
the  west  by  New  York  State. 

These  men  selected  for  a  town  site  the  center  of  three  ridges  overlooking 
Long  Island  Sound  on  the  south  and  the  highlands  of  the  Hudson  on  the  west. 
A  street  was  planned  six  rods  wide  from  north  and  south.  On  either  sides 
were  lots  of  2^2  acres  and  in  the  center  a  green  for  the  meeting  house  and 
schoolhouse.  Then  the  town  of  Ridgefield  was  ready  for  the  new  settlers  to 
move  in.  Among  the  first  to  settle  Ridgefield  were  Samuel  St.  John,  Samuel 
Keeler,  Jonathan  Rockwell,  Daniel  Olmstead,  Matthew  Seamore  and  Joseph 
Benedict. 

Many  other  families  came  to  the  new  settlement,  industries  were  established, 
markets  found  for  their  products  and  so  the  little  village  grew  until  it  was  one 
of  the  most  important  towns  of  the  State. 

During  the  Revolutionary  War  Ridgefield  raised  two  companies  of  soldiers, 
one  under  Captain  Northrop  of  Ridgebury  and  the  other  under  Captain  Olm- 
stead. 

On  April  25,  1777,  General  Tryon  after  burning  Danbury  marched  south 
toward  Long  Island.  About  three  miles  north  of  Ridgefield  he  was  met  by 
General  Wooster  with  two  hundred  Americans.  In  the  engagement  which 
followed  Wooster  was  killed  and  a  small  stone  near  Mr.  Hunt's  house  marks 
the  place  where  he  fell. 

Later  Benedict  Arnold  reached  Ridgefield  with  500  patriots  and  built  a 
hasty  barricade  of  earth  near  the  north  end  of  the  street.  Here  the  British 
routed  the  Americans  and  General  Arnold  narrowly  escaped  death  as  his  horse 
was  shot  from  under  him.  The  wounded  and  dying  soldiers  were  carried  into 
the  Stebbins  home,  now  in  the  possession  of  George  M.  Olcott. 

The  Episcopal  church  which  was  used  for  storing  supplies  during  the  war 
was  fired  by  General  Tryon  on  his  march  through  the  town. 

The  English  hearing  that  cartridges  were  being  made  in  the  Keeler  tavern 
which  is  still  standing  fired  several  cannon  balls  into  the  house,  one  of  which  is 
still  visible. 

Ridgefield  can  recall  with  pride  the  name  of  Philip  Burr  Bradley  whom 
King  George  III  appointed  justice  of  peace  in  1770  and  1777  was  appointed 
colonel  of  the  5th  Connecticut  regiment  by  John  Hancock,  President  of  the 
Continental  Congress. 

President  Washington  was  a  personal  friend  of  Colonel  Bradley's  and 
among  the  colonel's  keepsakes  are  a  chair,  a  china  bowl  and  a  pitcher  used  by 
Washington,  when  visiting  at  the  Bradley  house  which  is  still  standing  on 
Main  street,  now  the  home  of  L.  H.  Biglow. 

Another  of  Ridgefield's  prominent  citizens  who  should  not  be  forgotten  is 
Jeremiah  Keeler,  who  while  serving  under  Lafayette  took  part  in  the  battles 


86  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

of  Monmouth,  Jamestown  and  Yorktown  and  was  presented  with  a  sword  by 
Lafayette. 

Another  incident  in  the  history  of  Ridgefield  was  the  imprisonment  of 
Major  Andre,  the  British  spy,  at  South  Salem  under  the  guard  of  Lieutenant 
Joshua  King.  The  arm  chair  used  by  Major  Andre  while  a  prisoner  in 
South  Salem  is  now  in  possession  of  the  King  descendants. 

After  the  Revolutionary  War  Rev.  Goodrich  came  to  Ridgefield  as  the 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  church.  His  son  was  familiarly  known  as  Peter 
Parley. 

In  1797  there  were  two  taverns  in  Ridgefield;  the  Keeler  tavern  was  one 
owned  by  Amos  Smith,  which  was  later  sold  for  the  present  site  of  our  library. 
In  these  taverns  were  held  courts  of  justice,  balls  and  church  fairs. 

At  one  time  Ridgefield  had  several  factories,  among  which  were  the  saw 
mills,  grist  mills,  hat  and  shoe  factories  and  a  candlestick  factory,  all  of  which 
have  disappeared. 

It  will  be  well  to  mention  here  a  few  of  Ridgefield's  men  who  have  made 
a  mark  in  the  world.  Two  Ridgefield  boys  have  served  their  state  as  governors, 
the  Hon.  Phineas  E.  Lounsbury  and  his  brother,  George  E.  Lounsbury.  Among 
others  of  note  may  be  mentioned  Melbert  B.  Carey,  who  was  nominee  for 
governor  in  1902,  Hon.  Jonathan  Ingersoll,  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  and 
Lieutenant-governor,  and  William  O.  Seymour,  one  of  the  railroad  commis- 
sioners of  the  state.  These  are  only  a  few  out  of  many  whose  influence  and 
intellect  has  made  Ridgefield  what  it  is  today.  It  is  useless  for  me  to  try  and 
describe  to  you  the  modern  Ridgefield,  with  its  churches,  beautiful  residences 
and  clubs.  I  can  only  repeat  what  some  one  else  has  said  "  that  it  has  won 
distinction  far  and  wide  as  the  '  Lenox  of  Connecticut !'  " 

BY  RUTH  WILSON 

This  is  the  bi-centennial  of  one  of  the  most  historic  and  beautiful  country 
seats  in  Connecticut,  Ridgefield,  a  battle  ground  of  the  American  Revolution 
and  the  home  of  patriots.  Two  hundred  years  ago  Ridgefield  arose  from  a 
wilderness,  threw  off  the  aeons'  shackles  and  entered  the  work  of  civilization, 
until  on  this  anniversary  of  its  natal  day  its  hills  are  crowned  with  a  magnificent 
estate,  a  manor  town  with  many  strong  American  families,  in  whose  ancestral 
line  flows  the  blood  of  the  founders  and  the  saviors  of  this  great  nation.  There 
is  no  fairer  scene  in  fair  Connecticut  than  Ridgefield  Main  street,  a  mile  or 
more  of  fine  houses  and  velvety  lawns,  shaded  by  giant  elms  and  maples.  Cool, 
restful  shadows,  songs  of  birds,  and  glimpses  of  sunny  field  attract  and  charm 
the  visitor,  beguiling  him  into  a  fancy  that  this  is  some  lovely  old-world  park 
rather  than  the  thoroughfare  of  a  New  England  village. 

In  the  year  1708  the  Catoonah,  sachem  of  the  Ramapoo  Indians,  sold  for 
one  hundred  pounds  sterling  a  tract  of  land  bounded  on  the  east  and  north 
by  Danbury,  south  by  Norwalk  and  on  the  west  by  New  York  State,  to  twenty- 
nine  men  from  Norwalk  and  three  from  Milford.  That  year  the  General  As- 


Record  of  the  El-Centennial  Exercises  87 

sembly  appointed  Major  Peter  Burr  of  Fairfield,  John  Copp  of  Norwalk,  and 
Josiah  Starr  of  Danbury  to  survey  and  lay  out  a  new  settlement.  These  sur- 
veyors, with  a  keen  sense  of  beauty,  selected  for  a  town  site  the  central  of 
three  high  ridges  commanding  views  of  Long  Island  on  the  south  and  the  high- 
lands of  the  Hudson  toward  the  west.  A  street  six  rods  wide  was  planned 
from  north  to  south.  On  either  side  were  home  lots  of  two  and  one-half 
acres,  in  the  center  a  green  for  a  meeting  house  which  at  that  time  was  where 
the  cemetery  is  now,  and  a  schoolhouse  which  stood  where  the  fire  house  is 
being  built.  On  the  east  and  west  ridges  were  five  acres  of  pasture  to  each 
home  lot.  Then  the  place  appropriately  named  Ridgefield  was  ready  for  the 
new  inhabitants  to  move  in  and  to  go  to  housekeeping.  At  the  northern  end 
of  the  town  is  a  great  boulder  called  Settler's  Rock  supposed  to  have  been  the 
camping  place  of  the  first  comer  to  Ridgefield.  During  the  Revolution  Ridge- 
field,  intensely  patriotic,  raised  two  companies  of  soldiers,  one  under  Captain 
Gamaliel  Northrop  of  Ridgebury,  a  northeastern  parish,  the  other  under  Cap- 
tain David  Olmstead.  This  added  to  the  excitement  of  the  battle  on  Main 
street  and  invited  many  of  the  youth  to  enter  the  army. 

April  25,  1778,  General  Tryon  made  his  celebrated  trip  to  Danbury,  burning 
the  town.  On  the  morning  of  the  25th  he  marched  toward  Long  Island,  and 
about  three  miles  north  of  Ridgefield  was  overtaken  by  General  Wooster  with 
two  hundred  Americans.  In  an  engagement  the  intrepid  Wooster  was  killed. 
Five  hundred  patriots  under  General  Benedict  Arnold  reached  Ridgefield  in 
the  morning  and  built  a  hasty  barricade  of  earth,  that  looked  across  the  north 
end  of  the  street.  Here  the  British  routed  the  Americans.  During  this  skir- 
mish sixteen  royalists  and  eight  patriots  were  killed,  and  General  Arnold  narrowly 
escaped,  as  his  horse  was  shot  under  him.  The  Stebbins  homestead  was  used 
as  a  temporary  hospital  and  the  dead  were  buried  in  an  adjoining  field.  A 
tamarack  tree  marks  the  spot  where  Arnold's  horse  fell  and  stands  close  to  the 
masonry  supporting  the  bank  of  earth  fortification,  the  site  of  George  H. 
Newton's  country  home.  Some  years  ago  the  Ridgefield  Press  announced  the 
discovery  near  this  tree  of  the  skeleton  of  this  famous  horse  and  offered  it  to 
the  local  Historical  Society,  adding  that  the  bones  and  hoofs  found  at  the  same 
time  have  been  re-interred.  The  enemy  marched  through  the  village  without 
further  resistance,  encamping  for  the  night  on  a  high  hill  south  of  the  town  and 
burning  a  house  as  a  signal  to  the  ships  on  the  sound.  The  Episcopal  church 
was  used  for  storage  of  supplies  during  the  Revolution  and  was  fired  by  General 
Tryon  in  addition  to  six  dwellings,  among  these  houses  the  Keeler  tavern,  kept 
by  Timothy  Keeler,  a  patriot.  The  English  heard  that  cartridges  were  being 
made  in  the  tavern  and  discharged  several  cannon  balls  into  the  house  (one  is 
still  visible),  dislodging  the  enemy,  who  took  refuge  in  the  woods.  Mr. 
Keeler's  neighbor  was  a  royalist,  who,  finding  the  sparks  a  menace  to  his  own 
house,  received  Tryon's  permission  to  quench  the  flames.  When  Mr.  Keeler 
returned  from  his  hiding  place  the  Tory  met  him,  saying,  "  You  may  thank  me 
that  your  house  is  safe."  "  No,  sir,"  roared  the  sturdy  patriot,"  I  will  not 
thank  a  Tory  for  anything.  I  thank  the  Lord  for  the  north  wind." 


88  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

Ridgefield  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  has  become  one  of  the  modern 
New  England  towns  with  its  lodges,  club,  automobiles,  electric  lights,  water 
and  fire  apparatus  and  all  the  modern  improvements  in  the  homesteads,  and 
amusements  of  different  kinds.  This  is  the  Ridgefield  of  today. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  of  the  school  children,  about  4  o'clock 
p.  m.  they  were  taken  in  carryalls,  forming  part  of  a  parade  organized  by  the 
Business  Men's  Association  and  other  organizations  of  the  town,  preceded  by 
the  Ridgefield  band,  constituting  quite  an  imposing  procession  and  passing 
through  the  principal  streets  of  the  town. 


At  8  p.  m.  on  July  7th,  an  audience  assembled  in  the  Town  Hall  taxing 
its  seating  capacity  to  listen  to  a  concluding  address  by  the  Hon.  E.  J.  Hill, 
congressman,  as  indicated  on  the  foregoing  program. 

HON.  E.  J.  HILL 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  As  a  son  of  the  neighboring  town 
of  Redding  and  a  resident  for  fifty  years  of  your  parent  town  of  Norwalk,  I 
greet  you  tonight  and  congratulate  Norwalk's  oldest  child  not  only  on  its 
splendid  youth  but  also  on  the  vigorous  way  in  which  it  is  now  stepping  out 
into  the  third  century  of  its  career. 

As  one  looks  over  the  Colonial  records  of  Connecticut  and  sees  the  names 
of  the  men  who  founded  Norwalk  in  1651  and  fifty-seven  years  later  the  names  of 
those  who  bought  the  territory  bounded  by  Norwalk,  Danbury  and  New  York, 
now  constituting  the  town  of  Ridgefield,  he  is  forced  to  conclude  that  in  its 
making,  though  Ridgefield  did  not  take  from  Norwalk  land,  as  Westport  and 
Wilton  subsequently  did,  she  did  take  men,  the  sons  of  heroic  fathers  and 
mothers  who  for  a  half  a  century  or  more  had  been  fighting  savages,  subdu- 
ing the  soil  and  building  on  these  bleak  New  England  shores  a  commonwealth 
which  has  stamped  its  impress  on  this  nation  and  on  the  progress  of  civilization 
throughout  the  world  as  no  other  of  equal  size  has  ever  done. 

For  the  men  who  founded  Ridgefield  were  the  descendants  of  those  who, 
landing  in  Boston  Bay,  had  marched  through  the  wilderness  of  Massachusetts 
and  making  for  themselves  homes  on  the  banks  of  the  Long  River,  had  given 
to  the  world  the  first  written  constitution  ever  made  by  which  men  should  gov- 
ern themselves,  and  yield  to  no  mandate  but  "  to  fear  God  and  keep  his  com- 
mandments." 

Even  the  compact  made  in  the  cabin  of  the  Mayflower  on  the  nth  day  of 
November,  1620,  proclaimed  as  it  has  ever  since  been,  as  the  foundation  of 
Democracy  in  this  land,  began  as  follows, —  "  We  whose  names  are  under  writ- 
ten, the  loyal  subjects  of  our  dread  sovereign  Lord,  King  James,  by  the  Grace 
of  God,  of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ireland,  King,  defender  of  the  faith,  etc.," 
and  proceeded  to  declare  that  the  voyage  had  been  undertaken  not  only  for 


Ky  permission  "  Men  of  Mark.'''1 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  89 

the  glory  of  God  and  advancement  of  the  Christian  faith,  but  for  the  honor  of 
their  King  and  country. 

But  the  men  of  Connecticut  nineteen  years  later  immortalized  themselves 
by  giving  to  the  world  a  plan  of  government  in  which  no  king  or  prince  or 
potentate  is  mentioned,  but  which  looked  to  Almighty  God  for  guidance  and 
control,  and  to  themselves  to  make  the  laws. 

In  that  Constitution  they  declared  that  the  word  of  God  required,  that  to 
maintain  the  peace  and  union  of  the  people,  there  should  be  an  orderly  and 
decent  Government  established  according  to  God,  to  order  and  dispose  of  the 
affairs  of  the  people  as  occasion  should  require. 

They  therefore  associated  and  joined  themselves  together  as  a  Public  State 
or  Commonwealth,  and  for  themselves  and  their  successors  entered  into  con- 
federation to  maintain  and  preserve  the  liberty  and  purity  of  the  Gospel  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  and  the  discipline  of  the  church :  And  in  civil  affairs  to  be  guided 
and  governed  by  laws,  rules,  orders  and  decrees,  the  mode  of  enacting  which 
was  therein  provided. 

They  then  proceeded  to  combine  the  principles  of  pure  democracy,  as  ex- 
emplified in  the  town  meeting,  with  the  practical  work  of  a  representative  gov- 
ernment in  the  form  of  the  General  Assembly,  substantially  as  we  have  it  to- 
day in  our  present  State  Government. 

Indeed  the  fundamental  principles  of  that  Constitution  were  embodied  in 
the  Charter  given  by  Charles  2d  in  1662,  and  it  is  reasonably  certain  that  this 
document  was  prepared  and  written  by  the  colonists  themselves  and  submitted 
ready-made  for  the  King's  approval,  which  it  subsequently  received. 

So  that  the  system  of  government  originating  in  1639  was  in  full  force 
and  effect  straight  on  down  for  179  years  until  the  adoption  of  the  present  Con- 
stitution in  1818. 

It  was  said  by  the  enemies  of  the  Colony  that  not  a  single  law  of  the  Eng- 
lish parliament  was  ever  put  in  force  in  the  Colony  of  Connecticut  until  it  had 
first  received  the  approval  of  its  own  General  Assembly. 

It  was  literally  a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people  and  for  the 
people.  Parties,  committees,  bosses,  and  conventions  were  unknown.  The 
direct  primary  of  modern  times  was  in  full  force  and  effect,  for  all  nominations 
of  candidates  were  made  at  open  elections  where  each  elector  voted  for  whom 
he  pleased,  and  the  number  of  persons  required  to  fill  the  respective  offices,  re- 
ceiving the  plurality  of  votes,  with  such  others  as  the  General  Court  saw  fit  to 
add,  were  entitled  to  be  candidates  at  the  General  election  which  followed,  some 
months  later,  after  full  consideration  had  been  given  to  all  their  qualifications, 
by  the  whole  people. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  among  the  founders  of  Ridgefield,  not  a  single 
family  name  corresponds  with  that  of  any  of  the  signers  of  the  Mayflower  com- 
pact, but  that  eighteen  out  of  the  twenty-one  who  left  Norwalk  to  become  origi- 
nal proprietors  here,  bore  the  family  names  of  planters  of  the  Colonies  of  Con- 
necticut and  New  Haven  prior  to  their  union  in  1665. 

It  was  from  such  stock  that  the  settlers  of  Ridgefield  came,  and  what  is 

13 


90  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

true  of  Ridgefield  is  equally  true  of  all  Connecticut  towns  organized  before  the 
i8th  Century  began,  and  those  which  came  later  could  not  escape  its  in- 
fluence. 

The  men  of  Connecticut  were  trained  in  a  school  of  hard  experience.  Its 
hillside  farms  and  gravelly  soil  were  not  the  nurseries  of  sluggards  and  idlers. 

A  rigid  economy  was  essential  to  bare  subsistence. 

Every  man  had  an  occupation  and  worked  at  it. 

The  mothers  kept  the  homes  and  made  the  family  clothing. 

The  boys,  when  not  at  school,  were  doing  chores  or  learning  trades,  the 
girls  were  teaching  others  and  not  ashamed  to  support  themselves. 

The  modern  factory  was  then  unknown  and  domestic  service  was  honorably 
done. 

It  was  no  disgrace  to  work,  but  idleness  was  almost  a  crime. 

I  have  in  my  library  an  abridgement  of  the  laws  in  force  and  used  in  the 
plantations  of  New  England  or  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  in  1704,  during 
the  reign  of  Queen  Anne  when  Ridgefield  was  settled. 

A  brief  statement  of  some  of  them  will  give  you  an  insight  into  the  social 
conditions  of  the  time.  No  person  worth  less  than  £200  could  wear  gold  or 
silver  lace  or  buttons,  or  bone  lace  costing  more  than  2  s.  per  yard,  or  silk  hoods 
or  scarfs,  under  penalty  of  10  s.  for  each  offence. 

Burglary  and  highway  robbery  were  punished  by  branding  on  the  forehead 
with  the  letter  B  for  the  first  offence,  branding  and  whipping  for  the  second, 
and  death  for  the  third. 

If  done  on  the  Lord's  day  an  ear  was  cut  off,  besides  each  of  the  first  two 
punishments. 

Cursing  God  or  his  holy  religion  and  worship,  or  any  other  form  of 
blasphemy  was  punishable  by  death. 

Parents  were  required  to  cause  their  children  to  read  perfectly  the  English 
tongue,  to  teach  them  a  knowledge  of  the  capital  laws,  and  to  catechise  them 
once  a  week  in  the  grounds  and  principles  of  religion. 

The  selectmen  could  examine  the  children  in  the  families  and  if  they  found 
them  rude  and  ignorant  could  take  them  away  from  their  parents  and  put  them 
in  charge  of  other  persons. 

Any  child  above  sixteen  years  of  age  of  sound  understanding  who  should 
smite  with  his  hand  or  curse  with  his  mouth  his  father  or  mother  was  liable  to 
be  put  to  death,  unless  it  was  shown  that  the  parents  had  been  unchristianly 
negligent  in  their  education. 

Any  stubborn  or  rebellious  son  over  sixteen  years  of  age,  upon  accusation  of 
his  parents,  should  suffer  death. 

Every  person  was  required  to  pay  taxes  to  support  the  church  and  the 
state,  except  ministers  regularly  ordained,  and  these  were  exempt  both  in  per- 
son and  property. 

All  cattle  had  to  be  branded.  In  1714  the  General  Assembly  of  Connecti- 
cut passed  an  act  as  follows : — "  This  Assembly  grants  liberty  unto  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town  of  Ridgefield  to  imbody  into  church  estate  and  settle  an  or- 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  91 

thodox  minister  amongst  them.  And  also  the  brand  for  the  town  of  Ridgefield 
to  brand  their  horses  be  this  figure  — 

I  do  not  quite  understand  the  connection  between  the  two  parts  of  the  law. 

The  pure  food  laws  of  today  are  feeble  imitations  of  those  at  that  time 
when  all  packages  and  their  contents  had  to  be  inspected  both  as  to  quality  and 
quantity  and  branded  by  the  gauger  or  packer,  or  else  forfeited  one-half  to  the 
informer  and  the  other  half  to  the  state. 

No  attorney  in  an  inferior  court  could  sit  as  a  deputy  in  the  General  Court, 
nor  could  any  other  man  who  was  unsound  in  judgment  concerning  the  main 
points  of  the  Christian  Religion  or  scandalous  in  his  conversation,  and  any  free- 
man who  knowingly  voted  for  such  a  one  should  forfeit  £5. 

What  would  be  the  effect  of  such  a  law  upon  the  elections  and  legislative 
bodies  of  today? 

Playing  shuffle  board  or  bowls  or  other  games  of  sport  for  money,  or  danc- 
ing, in  any  public  house,  or  celebrating  feasts  or  festivals  such  as  Christmas, 
or  Easter,  either  by  merry-making  or  forbearing  labor,  or  playing  at  cards  or 
dice,  were  forbidden  under  penalty  of  5  s.  for  each  offence,  or  whipping,  in  the 
discretion  of  the  court. 

Bringing  cards  or  dice  into  the  country  or  keeping  them  in  one's  custody 
was  subject  to  a  penalty  of  £5  or  whipping. 

Bridge  whist  was  not  popular  in  those  days. 

Heresy,  which  meant  a  disbelief  in  any  of  the  tenets  of  the  church,  was 
punishable  by  banishment,  and  denial  by  a  professing  Christian  of  the  infalli- 
bility of  any  of  the  scriptures,  by  a  fine  of  £50,  for  the  first  offence,  and  banish- 
ment or  death  for  the  second. 

All  women  and  children  not  otherwise  employed  were  required  to  spin, 
and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  selectmen  to  apportion  to  each  family  the  work  to  be 
done  and  to  impose  fines  for  shortages. 

Lying  and  swearing  were  punished  by  fines  and  the  stocks. 

Idolatry  and  witchcraft  were  punishable  by  death. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  great  mass  of  laws  which  touched  every  side  of 
the  lives  of  the  men  and  women  of  that  day. 

Nothing  in  this  world  or  the  next  escaped  the  scrutiny  and  control  of  the 
state. 

The  conscience  of  the  individual  was  harnessed  and  driven,  by  statute,  and 
personal  convictions  shaped  and  fashioned  by  grievous  penalties. 

The  soul  and  body,  the  food  and  clothing,  the  work  and  play,  the  family 
relations  and  public  duties  were  all  considered  and  cared  for  as  a  public  instead 
of  a  personal  responsibility. 

It  was  a  slavery  of  the  law. 

And  yet,  while  undoubtedly  it  made  some  hypocrites  and  time-servers,  out 
of  it  came  a  strong  and  self-reliant  race  of  men  and  women  who  have  not  only 
achieved  success  at  home,  but  have  sent  out  sons  and  daughters  all  over  this 
broad  land  to  shape  and  mold  the  destinies  of  other  states. 

I  have  often  wondered  why  this  should  have  been,  for  the  mental  and  so- 


92  1708     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

cial  and  spiritual  tyranny  of  that  day  would  not  be  tolerated  now,  but  I  in- 
variably come  back  to  the  conclusion  that  the  New  England  town  meeting  and 
pulpit,  the  open  Bible  and  the  little  red  schoolhouse  have  been  the  mightiest 
factors  in  the  development  of  American  civilization,  and  that  the  persuading  ex- 
ample of  a  Christian  home  is  irresistible,  transplant  it  where  you  will. 

By  the  last  census,  among  the  forty-six  states  in  the  Union,  although  Con- 
necticut stands  forty-fourth  in  area,  she  is  thirtieth  in  population,  I5th  in  wealth, 
7th  in  capital  employed  in  manufacturing,  ist  among  the  New  England  States 
and  7th  in  the  whole  Union  in  the  education  of  her  children  —  and  ist  of  all 
in  the  inventive  genius  of  her  people  and  the  variety  and  diversification  of  her 
industries. 

And  so  tonight  as  a  son  of  Connecticut  with  273  years  of  honorable  ancestry 
buried  beneath  her  soil,  I  join  with  young  Ridgefield  in  celebrating  her  2OOth 
anniversary  and  am  proud  not  only  of  what  Connecticut  has  been  but  of  what 
she  is  today,  in  this  splendid  galaxy  of  states  which  constitute  this  great  Re- 
public. 

Upon  the  incorporation  of  Ridgefield,  the  Colony  of  Connecticut  then  con- 
sisted of  forty-five  settled  towns.  The  state  now  has  168. 

Its  population  then  was  about  seventeen  thousand,  now  probably  over  one 
million. 

The  grand  list  of  the  Colony  was  then  £281,083. 

In  1906  the  state  grand  list  was  $791,769,979  and  its  indebtedness  less  than 
one  million,  all  of  which  will  be  due  and  paid  in  two  years. 

I  congratulate  your  native  sons  and  daughters  upon  the  wonderful  changes 
which  have  come  to  their  much  loved  town  within  their  lifetime,  upon  the  de- 
lightful homes  and  splendid  mansions  which  have  brought  prosperity  and  added 
beauty  to  the  old  time  surroundings,  and  I  commend  the  wisdom,  judgment,  and 
good  taste  of  those  who  by  their  coming  have  made  life  here  even  more  enjoy- 
able than  it  was  before. 

We  may  not  all  share  in  the  gladness  of  this  celebration  so  far  as  local  asso- 
ciations and  memories  are  concerned,  but  as  Americans  all,  we  can  rejoice  alike 
in  the  marvelous  growth  and  prosperity  of  our  beloved  country  and  be  united  in 
a  common  purpose  to  work  for  its  highest  good. 

The  life  of  a  nation  is  not  measured  by  years  but  by  its  achievements. 

Three  years  ago  when  in  Japan  I  was  told  that  the  present  dynasty  had 
been  continuously  in  power  for  twenty-six  hundred  years,  and  yet  Japan  only 
began  to  live  when  an  American  sailor  knocked  at  its  door  fifty  years  ago  and 
told  her  people  that  they  were  an  integral  part  of  a  larger  world,  and  that  they 
must  accept  the  responsibility  of  their  being  so,  whether  they  would  or  not. 

When  that  door  opened,  it  was  creation's  dawn  for  them,  and  it  made  a  new 
field  of  work  for  those  who  are  truly  living  in  other  lands. 

"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  "  means 
something  more  than  sending  missionaries  to  the  heathen,  for  we  cannot  all  go, 
and  yet  the  call  is  to  all  of  us. 

It  also  means  so  living  at  home  that  our  example  as  a  nation  shall  be  an  in- 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  93 

spiration  and  an  encouragement  to  the  down-trodden  and  oppressed,  to  the  hope- 
less and  helpless  everywhere. 

It  means  continual  struggle  and  work  among  our  own  people  for  a  higher 
and  still  higher  civilization,  that  all  men  may  profit  by  it  and  that  humanity 
everywhere  may  be  blessed. 

John  F.  Stevens,  the  chief  engineer  on  the  Panama  Canal,  said — "  I  take  off 
my  hat  to  Colonel  Gorgas  who  made  it  possible  to  dig  the  Panama  Canal."  But 
great  as  is  that  work  and  helpful  as  it  will  be  to  the  material  advancement  of 
the  world,  it  is  not  to  be  compared  to  the  blessings  which  will  come  to  the  in- 
habitants of  the  tropics  from  the  complete  demonstration  which  Colonel  Gorgas 
is  giving  that  yellow  fever  and  bubonic  plague  and  malaria  can  be  driven  from 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

It  is  a  common  expression  at  celebrations  of  this  kind,  that  this  town,  this 
state  and  this  nation  will  be  just  what  you  and  I  make  it. 

In  one  sense  it  is  true,  in  another  not,  for  it  ignores  a  higher  power.  In 
either  case  we  cannot  avoid  our  individual  responsibility  and  the  duty  that  rests 
upon  us,  to  give  to  the  community  in  which  we  live  a  little  more  than  we  take 
from  it. 

A  few  months  ago  I  visited  a  dead  city,  Ephesus  in  Asia  Minor.  It  is 
being  excavated  now  by  the  Austrian  Government. 

It  was  a  magnificent,  great  city,  filled  with  all  that  could  make  life  luxurious. 

It  was  captured  by  the  Romans  and  rebuilt,  adorned  and  beautified  still  more. 

It  must  have  been  a  city  of  marble  palaces,  marble  streets,  and  splendid 
structures. 

Its  Main  street  paved  with  marble,  a  broad  mosaic  sidewalk  on  each  side, 
with  a  double  row  of  marble  columns  on  each  walk,  stretched  from  the  inland 
gate  for  three  miles  to  the  port. 

Its  theatre,  seating  25,000  people,  is  superb  in  its  beauty,  even  in  its  ruin. 

Its  splendid  public  library,  with  marble  mosaic,  alabaster  and  gold,  its  im- 
mense gymnasium  and  baths,  its  churches  and  temples,  all  tell  of  a  great  and 
beautiful  city,  wealthy  and  powerful. 

And  yet  as  I  stood  in  the  theatre  where  the  "  Uproar  "  occurred  nineteen 
centuries  ago  and  looked  across  to  the  rocky  height  where  the  Apostle  Paul's 
prison  still  stands,  as  I  saw  the  swamp  hole  where  the  temple  of  Diana  once 
stood,  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world,  I  could  not  but  think  of  the  words  of 
St.  John  the  Divine  in  the  Revelation,  when  he  said,  "  I  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly  and  will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent." 

Today  the  greatest  interest  that  attaches  to  Ephesus  is,  that  it  was  once  the 
scene  of  Paul's  labor  and  work.  They  lived  unto  themselves  and  received  their 
reward. 

The  little  bands  of  men  who  came  to  Jamestown,  New  Amsterdam  and  Bos- 
ton Bay  were  inspired  by  different  motives,  some  by  hope  of  gain,  some  by  love 
of  adventure,  and  some  seeking  for  freedom  to  worship  God.  But  God  twisted 
their  purposes,  welded  their  energies,  and  shaped  a  common  destiny  for  them 
all,  so  that  today  a  mighty  nation  of  eighty-seven  million  souls  is  spanning  a 


94  I7°8     Ridgefield  Bi-Centennial     1908 

continent,  and  reaching  out  to  the  islands  of  two  oceans,  halfway  around  the 
world. 

Today,  the  little  red  schoolhouse  on  Ridgefield  hill  is  reproduced  in  the 
Philippine  Islands,  and  half  a  million  brown  boys  and  girls  daily  salute  the 
American  flag,  and  sing  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner  "  in  our  own  tongue. 

They  are  the  forerunners,  the  advance  guard  of  the  United  States  of  Asia, 
which,  perhaps  sooner  than  we  think,  may  give  to  the  Orient  the  blessings  of 
liberty  and  the  free  institutions  which  our  fathers  gave  to  us. 

As  in  the  Pacific,  so  in  the  Atlantic  seas,  our  duty  to  our  Insular  neigh- 
bors is  clear  and  plain,  and  all  the  world  admits  it. 

Shall  we  do  that  duty  when  it  is  near  by  and  gives  promise  of  quick  return, 
and  shirk  it  when  far  away  and  at  greater  cost? 

We  are  too  rich,  too  strong,  too  great  to  falter  now,  and  may  not  if  we 
would,  for  we  cannot  escape  our  destiny. 

As  I  have  reviewed  the  history  of  this  nation  since  the  close  of  the  Spanish 
War  and  have  thought  of  the  burdens  assumed  by  us  because  of  it,  burdens 
assumed  unwittingly  and  unsought  at  its  beginning,  the  putting  down  of  insur- 
rection in  the  Philippines,  the  sanitation  of  the  Islands,  and  the  establishment  of 
civil  government,  the  maintenance  of  peace  in  Cuba  and  the  control  of  yellow 
fever  there,  the  relief  of  distress  from  hurricanes  and  destruction  of  crops  in 
Porto  Rico,  and  in  them  all,  the  education  of  the  children,  and  the  elimination 
of  graft  in  public  service,  the  abolition  of  class  distinctions  by  which  the  masses 
of  the  people  were  robbed  and  plundered  for  the  benefit  of  the  titled  few,  and 
all  the  cleaning  up  of  the  moral,  political,  and  social  filth  which  had  been  the 
result  of  three  hundred  years  of  Spanish  despotism,  I  have  wondered  whether 
we  have  not  already  received  our  reward,  in  the  reflex  effect  of  this  work  abroad, 
by  an  awakening  of  the  public  conscience  at  home  and  a  keener  perception  of 
the  responsibility  of  the  government  to  the  people  and  of  the  people  to  each  other. 

One  thing  I  know  that  for  some  reason  there  has  arisen  during  the  past 
four  years  from  all  over  this  land  a  demand  for  higher  social,  political  and 
business  standards,  and  that  this  demand  will  not  be  satisfied  till  many  radical 
changes  are  made  in  existing  conditions. 

The  difficulty  is  that  much  of  the  work  belongs  to  the  states  themselves, 
and  the  general  government  has  never  been  vested  with  power  to  do  these 
things  which  the  people  want  except  within  the  territories  and  the  District  of 
Columbia. 

For  example,  on  what  theory  of  our  government  can  congress  legislate  for 
the  regulation  of  child  labor  in  Connecticut  or  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquor, 
or  the  local  transportation  of  freight  and  passengers,  or  the  construction  and 
maintenance  of  highways,  or  the  preparation  and  distribution  of  food  products, 
or  even  the  conservation  of  natural  resources,  all  within  the  limits  and  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  Connecticut. 

That  is  your  work  and  mine  as  citizens  of  this  state. 

It  is  needless  for  me  to  say  that  much  of  this  avalanche  of  demand  for  re- 
form legislation  by  congress  along  these  and  kindred  lines,  has  been  started  not 


Record  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Exercises  95 

only  because  the  changes  sought  possessed  great  merit  in  themselves,  but  be- 
cause the  entering  of  the  general  government  on  the  work,  would  thereby 
transfer  the  expense  from  local  or  state  taxation  and  throw  it  upon  the  Federal 
treasury. 

But  this  is  by  no  means  true  in  all  cases,  and  it  is  a  serious  question  whether 
the  time  is  not  rapidly  approaching,  when  either  the  powers  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment must  be  greatly  enlarged,  or  the  citizens  of  the  municipalities  and 
states  come  to  a  higher  appreciation  of  their  individual  responsibility. 

I  think  all  of  us  must  admit  that  since  the  Civil  War  at  least,  with  rare 
exceptions,  the  general  drift  and  tendency  of  American  life  has  not  measured 
up  to  the  ethical  standard  of  the  men  who  laid  the  foundations  of  this  Republic, 
but  that  the  hope  of  immediate  gain  and  the  possibility  of  speedy  wealth  which 
the  marvelous  resources  of  this  country  afford,  have  caused  us  to  do  many 
things  and  leave  many  things  undone  for  which  our  children  and  our  children's 
children  will  needlessly  suffer  and  justly  condemn  us. 

God  has  been  wonderfully  good  to  us  as  a  nation  and  a  people,  for  we  are 
the  heirs  of  the  struggles  and  devotion  and  sacrifices  of  three  centuries,  and 
are  in  full  possession  of  their  fruits  today. 

Not  once  in  a  century  only,  therefore,  but  every  day  of  our  lives,  should 
be  an  anniversary  on  which  we  should  pledge  ourselves  anew  to  so  act  while 
we  are  the  recipients  of  this  bounty  that  this  nation,  this  state,  this  town,  and 
each  of  our  individual  homes,  will  be  a  blessing  and  a  help  to  those  who  shall 
come  after  us. 

I  know  of  no  better  way  to  do  this  than  to  follow  the  scriptural  injunction, 
"  Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens  "  and  so  fulfill  the  law  of  Christ. 

And  what  a  country  it  is  for  which  to  strive!  For  it,  to  make  it  a  refuge 
for  the  oppressed  of  every  people,  the  men  of  1620  labored  and  toiled. 

For  it,  to  give  it  independence,  the  men  of  1776  pledged  life  and  fortune 
and  sacred  honor. 

For  it,  to  save  the  Union  and  take  from  its  statute  books  the  dark  blot  of 
human  slavery,  the  men  of  1861  laid  down  their  lives,  or  are  waiting  still  to 
receive  their  crown. 

What  less  can  you  and  I  do  for  it  now,  than  to  strive  as  best  we  may  to  en- 
noble its  citizenship  and  glorify  its  mission  ? 

And  now  as  we  close  the  2OOth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  Ridgefield 
I  know  that  I  but  voice  the  thought  that  is  in  the  heart  of  each  one  of  you,  as 
I  say  of  our  beloved  country  in  the  words  of  an  old  song, — 

I  love  every  inch  of  her  prairie  land, 

Each  stone  on  her  mountain's  side; 
I  love  every  drop  of  the  water  clear 

That  flows  in  her  rivers  wide. 
I  love  ev'ry  tree,  ev'ry  blade  of  grass, 

Within  Columbia's  gates! 
The  queen  of  the  earth  is  the  land  of  my  birth, 

My  own  United  States. 


96  1708     Ridge  field  Bi-Centennial     1908 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Hill's  address  the  Chairman,  Mr.  Seymour,  said: 
"  The  Bi-Centennial  observances  being  over,  we  turn  from  rehearsing  the  his- 
tory of  the  past  to  the  making  of  the  history  of  the  future.  I  desire  to  ex- 
tend the  thanks  of  the  community  to  all  who  in  any  way  have  contributed  to 
the  success  of  this  occasion  —  to  the  committees  who  assisted  in  planning  and 
carrying  out  the  scheme  in  all  its  details,  to  Mrs.  Wm.  S.  Hawk,  who,  without 
solicitation,  volunteered  to  furnish  and  arrange  in  such  a  neat  and  attractive 
manner  the  interior  decorations  of  the  hall;  to  the  clergymen  of  the  various 
churches  for  preparing  and  presenting  the  very  interesting  program  of  the  in- 
troductory exercises  on  Monday  evening;  to  the  various  speakers,  both  local 
and  from  out  of  town,  for  the  able  and  instructive  addresses  and  papers  pre- 
sented; to  the  children  for  the  interesting  historical  papers  which  they  pre- 
sented, showing  an  unexpected  familiarity  with  the  early  history  of  the  town; 
to  all  the  local  organizations  of  the  town  for  the  very  creditable  and  imposing 
demonstration  which  they  made  in  the  parade  of  the  afternoon,  under  peculiarly 
trying  temperature  conditions;  to  the  chorus  and  the  Ridgefield  band  for  their 
inspiring  music;  to  Mr.  Geo.  B.  Clark  for  the  gratuitous  use  of  the  piano  on 
this  occasion;  to  Mr.  D.  F.  Bedient  for  the  gratuitous  use  of  the  camp  stools; 
to  the  ushers  for  their  services  and  to  the  Ridgefield  Press  for  the  use  of  its 
columns  in  bringing  the  occasion  to  the  attention  of  the  public.  The  chorus 
and  audience  will  now  unite  in  singing  "  My  Country,  'Tis  of  Thee." 


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